For Immediate Release - April, 23 2008
Contacts:
Oliver Bernstein, 512.289.8618
David Willett, 202.675.6698
New Sierra Club Poll Shows Hispanic Voters Concerned about Global Warming
and Energy, Willing to Take Action
Groundbreaking Bendixen & Associates-Conducted Poll is the First-Ever
National Survey of Hispanic Voters on Energy and Environmental Issues
Washington, D.C. - Hispanic voters are overwhelmingly concerned about
energy, global warming and environmental issues and are willing to take
action to find solutions, according to results of a Sierra Club-sponsored
national poll released today and conducted by Bendixen & Associates. The
first-ever national poll of Hispanics on environmental issues was conducted
March 20-30, 2008, and it found that U.S. Hispanics - a growing and
powerful demographic - are deeply connected to nature and are concerned
about the environment enough to take action to protect their communities
and their families.
To view detailed poll results, please visit
http://www.sierraclub.org/ecocentro/survey/
Sergio Bendixen, pollster with Bendixen & Associates, said that the poll
revealed that the overwhelming majority of Hispanic voters say that energy
and environmental issues have a significant impact on their quality of life
and the overall health of their family.
"Energy and global warming is viewed as one of the two most important
environmental problems for Hispanic families, and four-fifths of these
voters consider it to be a major problem," said Bendixen. "Hispanic voters
across the nation recognize that they can help protect the environment
through the personal choices they make."
The findings of the groundbreaking poll include strong evidence that
Hispanic voters:
-Overwhelmingly (80%) said that energy and environmental issues have "a
lot" or "some" impact on the quality of life and health of their families.
These voters have a high level of exposure to toxic sites.
-Clearly (more than 90%) feel a moral responsibility to take care of God's
creation on Earth, such as forests, oceans, lakes and rivers.
-View "energy and global warming" to be one of the two most important
environmental problems for their families, with 80% of these voters
considering it to be a major problem.
-Believe strongly (80%) that the government and big oil companies are most
responsible for the rising price of gasoline and oil in the United States.
-Confidently (more than 80%) agree that "shifting to a new 'clean energy
economy' could create millions of jobs, improve the quality of the
environment and protect everyone's children."
-Recognize that they can help protect the environment through the personal
choices they make.
"As a large and important constituency in the U.S., Hispanics can help
craft solutions and influence key decisions that will create good jobs for
Hispanic workers and cleaner neighborhoods for their families," said Carl
Pope, Executive Director of the Sierra Club, which sponsored the poll. "We
know that many Hispanic neighborhoods suffer disproportionately from
environmental pollution and the effects of global warming, so it is
particularly important that this community be fully engaged in the national
dialogue."
"This survey confirms once again that environmental issues play an
important role in the lives of Hispanic families. This is no surprise given
that minorities are 73 percent more likely to live near air polluting
facilities," said Congresswoman Hilda L. Solis, Vice Chair of the Energy
and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous
Materials. "The good news is that this survey indicates that 90 percent of
all Hispanic surveyed feel a moral responsibility to take action to do
their part in improving the environment.
"I want to thank the Sierra Club for addressing the effects of global
climate change on the Latino community," said Congressman Raśl M. Grijalva,
Chairman, Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and
Public Lands. "Both energy and climate change issues are rapidly developing
into critical issues to both the American public and the global community.
This study will undoubtedly reveal the communal concern for environmental
issues held by Latino voters across the United States."
The national poll of 1000 registered Hispanic voters was conducted by
professionally trained bilingual interviewers in either English or Spanish,
depending on the respondent's preference. The margin of error is three
percentage points.
###