Debunking Environmental Myths

Poll Question: 

Now let me read you four statements about the environment and please tell me which comes closest to your own view.

• The laws protecting the environment are not strong enough and stronger laws should be enacted;
• The current laws are tough enough but they are not enforced, existing laws should be strictly enforced;
• The current laws and enforcement of those laws are fine and should be left alone;
• The current laws protecting the environment and enforcement of those laws are too strict and need to be relaxed.

On the national poll, voters overwhelmingly called for government to play a larger role in protecting the environment.  A strong majority (77 percent) supported increased government involvement, either in the form of stricter regulations (24 percent) or stronger enforcement of current laws (53 percent).

In every state polled, at least 40 percent of voters called for stronger enforcement of existing laws.  States giving the strongest mandate for stricter enforcement included Connecticut (63 percent), Ohio and Michigan (60 percent), and Tennessee, Minnesota and Texas (59 percent).  In no state in which research was conducted did more than 15 percent of voters believe environmental laws should be weakened.