(Press-News.org) FAIRFAX, Va., April 2, 2013—In a recent survey of Republicans and Republican-leaning Independents conducted by the Center for Climate Change Communication (4C) at George Mason University, a majority of respondents (62 percent) said they feel America should take steps to address climate change. More than three out of four survey respondents (77 percent) said the United States should use more renewable energy sources, and of those, most believe that this change should begin immediately.
The national survey, conducted in January 2013, asked more than 700 people who self-identified as Republicans and Republican-leaning Independents about energy and climate change.
"Over the past few years, our surveys have shown that a growing number of Republicans want to see Congress do more to address climate change," said Mason professor Edward Maibach, director of 4C. "In this survey, we asked a broader set of questions to see if we could better understand how Republicans, and Independents who have a tendency to vote Republican, think about America's energy and climate change situation."
Other highlights from the survey include the following:
Republicans and Republican-leaning Independents prefer clean energy as the basis of America's energy future and say the benefits of clean energy, such as energy independence (66 percent) saving resources for our children and grandchildren (57 percent), and providing a better life for our children and grandchildren (56 percent) outweigh the costs, such as more government regulation (42 percent) or higher energy prices (31 percent).
By a margin of 2 to 1, respondents say America should take action to reduce its fossil fuel use.
Only one third of respondents agree with the Republican Party's position on climate change, while about half agree with the party's position on how to meet America's energy needs.
A large majority of respondents say their elected representatives are unresponsive to their views about climate change.
"The findings from this survey suggest there is considerable support among conservatives for accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels and toward clean renewable forms of energy, and for taking steps to address climate change," said Maibach. "Perhaps the most surprising finding, however, is how few of our survey respondents agreed with the Republican Party's current position on climate change."
###
The report can be downloaded at: http://climatechangecommunication.org
The report is based on findings from a nationally representative survey conducted by the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication. A total of 726 adults (18+) were interviewed between January 12th and January 27th, 2013. The average margin of error for the survey +/- 4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
About George Mason University
George Mason University is an innovative, entrepreneurial institution with global distinction in a range of academic fields. Located in Northern Virginia near Washington, D.C., Mason provides students access to diverse cultural experiences and the most sought-after internships and employers in the country. Mason offers strong undergraduate and graduate degree programs in engineering and information technology, organizational psychology, health care and visual and performing arts. With Mason professors conducting groundbreaking research in areas such as climate change, public policy and the biosciences, George Mason University is a leading example of the modern, public university. George Mason University-Where Innovation Is Tradition.
Survey shows many Republicans feel America should take steps to address climate change
2013-04-02
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Gynecomastia has psychological impact on adolescent boys, reports plastic and reconstructive surgery
2013-04-02
Philadelphia, Pa. (April 2, 2013) – Persistent breast enlargement (gynecomastia) negatively affects self-esteem and other areas of mental and emotional health in in adolescent males, reports the April issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
Even mild gynecomastia can have adverse psychological effects in boys, according to the study by ASPS Member Surgeon Dr. Brian I. Labow and colleagues of Boston Children's Hospital. They believe their findings have important implications for early ...
April 2013 story tips
2013-04-02
ANALYTICS – Device has ORNL pedigree . . .
With the introduction of Prosolia's flowprobe, researchers have an instrument that could accelerate drug discovery, aid in cancer research and improve the way scientists perform hundreds of tests. The flowprobe system, which is based on a technique invented by Gary Van Berkel of ORNL's Chemical Sciences Division, allows for efficient, automated direct sampling of surfaces while mapping the location of each chemical. Indianapolis-based Prosolia expects flowprobe to be especially useful for researchers doing clinical research or ...
Stop 'bad guys with guns' by implementing good policies
2013-04-02
Tragedies involving children, such as the one at Sandy Hook Elementary School, fuel massive outrage and calls for immediate action to prevent similar atrocities. The National Rifle Association (NRA) has put forward a National Shield School Proposal which supports the placement of armed security in all schools. A new review by Gordon and Angela Crews from Marshall University in West Virginia and Catherine Burton from The Citadel in South Carolina attempts to find a balanced and unbiased view of the facts within this heated and emotional debate. Their paper, which appears ...
Research reveals how antibodies neutralize mosquito-borne virus
2013-04-02
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Researchers have learned the precise structure of the mosquito-transmitted chikungunya virus pathogen while it is bound to antibodies, showing how the infection is likely neutralized.
The findings could help researchers develop effective vaccines against the infection, which causes symptoms similar to dengue fever, followed by a prolonged disease that affects the joints and causes severe arthritis. In recent outbreaks, some cases progressed to fatal encephalitis.
The researchers studied "virus-like particles," or non-infectious forms of the virus. ...
'Sharps' injuries have major health and cost impact for surgeons
2013-04-02
Philadelphia, Pa. (April 2, 2013) – Injuries caused by needles and other sharp instruments are a major occupational hazard for surgeons—with high costs related to the risk of contracting serious infectious diseases, according to a special article in the April issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
ASPS Member Surgeon Dr. Kevin C. Chung and colleagues at The University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, review the risks, health impact and costs of "sharps" injuries for surgeons and ...
Scientists find government justification of new environmental policy unfounded
2013-04-02
Recent efforts by the Canadian government to curb the time allowed for environmental reviews over fears of adverse impact on economic development are misguided and unnecessary, according to research by scientists at the University of Toronto. Instead, the federal government's tinkering will only weaken environmental protection and not expedite economic growth.
The researchers found that most environmental regulatory reviews were already being completed within the arbitrary timeframes laid out in the 2012 legislation restricting the reviews of new developments.
"Even ...
Ozone masks plants volatiles, plant eating insects confused
2013-04-02
Increases in ground-level ozone, especially in rural areas, may interfere not only with predator insects finding host plants, but also with pollinators finding flowers, according to researchers from Penn State and the University of Virginia.
"Ozone pollution has great potential to perniciously alter key interactions between plants and animals," the researchers said in a recent issue of Environmental Research Letters.
The animal tested in this case was the striped cucumber beetle, a predator of cucurbits -- cucumber, squash, pumpkin and melons. These insects dine on ...
Landmark study describes prostate cancer metastasis switch
2013-04-02
Prostate cancer doesn't kill in the prostate – it's only once the disease travels to bone, lung, liver, etc. that it turns fatal. Previous studies have shown that loss of the protein E-Cadherin is essential for this metastasis. A University of Colorado Cancer Center study published this week in the Journal of Biological Chemistry describes for the first time a switch that regulates the production of E-Cadherin: the transcription factor SPDEF turns on and off production, leading to metastasis or stopping it cold in models of prostate cancer.
"When E-Cadherin is lost, cells ...
College athletes twice as likely to have depression than retired collegiate athletes
2013-04-02
WASHINGTON — A survey of current and former college athletes finds depression levels significantly higher in current athletes, a result that upended the researchers' hypothesis. The finding published in Sports Health suggests the need for more research to understand depression among college athletes.
"We expected to see a significant increase in depression once athletes graduated, but by comparison it appears the stress of intercollegiate athletics may be more significant than we and others anticipated," says the study's senior investigator Daniel Merenstein, MD, an associate ...
Annals of Internal Medicine tip sheet for April 2, 2013
2013-04-02
1. For Greater Weight Loss, a Group Cash Incentive Trumps Individual Rewards
A group-based financial incentive leads to greater weight loss than an individual incentive for obese employees. An estimated 67 percent of employers use financial incentives to help their employees adopt healthier behaviors, with the goal of decreasing chronic disease and curbing health care costs. Researchers sought to determine the effectiveness of two financial incentive designs – group-based and individual – for obese employees trying to lose weight. One-hundred-and-four employees with a ...