Ads Highlight Maine’s Support for Federal Action on Clean Energy
Wednesday June 2nd, 2010Natural Resources Council of Maine - Maine Audubon - The Nature Conservancy
Augusta, Maine — Three of Maine’s leading conservation organizations today announced that they are running ads in Maine newspapers to support efforts by Maine’s Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins to pass comprehensive federal climate and clean energy legislation this year.
“With the nation’s worst oil spill unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. Congress should be working overtime to pass legislation that will help reduce our dependence on oil, address the threat of climate change, and stimulate America’s green energy economy,” said NRCM Advocacy Director Pete Didisheim. “Mainer’s overwhelmingly support action,” said Didisheim, “and these ads show the common ground that citizens, businesses, scientists, and our Senators share on these issues.”
A full-page print ad sponsored by the three organizations appeared today in newspapers across Maine. The ad features the results of a recent opinion survey conducted by Portland-based Critical Insights. In the Critical Insights on Maine™ Tracking Survey, Maine people were asked:
“Do you believe that Maine Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins should vote for or against legislation aimed at both reducing the threat of climate change and promoting clean energy development?”
>73% said that they want Maine’s senators to vote “For” such legislation; 13% said that the senators should vote “Against,” and 14% were undecided.
“This poll is consistent with the strong level of support that we see from Maine business leaders, faith-based groups, non-profit organizations, and individuals who support a clean energy future for Maine,” said Jenn Burns Gray, Staff Attorney and Advocate for Maine Audubon.
The organizations also released today a set of graphs that reveal the broad-based support from Maine people for action by Senators Snowe and Collins to reduce the threat of climate change and promote clean energy. Specifically, the charts show that 76% of female respondents and 68% of male respondents support such legislation; as do Mainers in all age groups, with the highest support (74%) from those between 18 and 44 years old. Support extends across Democrats (88%), Republicans (58%), and Independents (70%), and all regions of the state: South (79%), Central (77%), North (66%), and Coast (65%).
The print ad notes that more than 540 Maine businesses have signed a letter to Senators Snowe and Collins urging them to help pass federal climate and energy legislation. The ad also refers to a new study by the National Academy of Sciences, the nation’s leading scientific body, which urges strong and immediate action to limit carbon pollution (http://americasclimatechoices.org/).
“We know that Maine’s coast, forests, and ecosystems are vulnerable to a changing climate. Our senators understand this as well, and have demonstrated leadership in encouraging research funding for Maine,” said Kate Dempsey, Senior Policy Advisor for The Nature Conservancy in Maine. “Maine people support efforts by our senators to get a bill on climate and clean energy enacted this year.”
The final line of the print ad says: “The Time To Act Has Arrived: Maine people support our Senators in working to create a bipartisan bill that can pass this year that will be good for Maine, for America, and for future generations.”
The Critical Insights on Maine™ Spring 2010 Tracking Survey involved 600 interviews with registered voters across Maine. The final data was statistically weighted according to relevant demographics to reflect the Maine voter base, and the results have a margin of error of +/- 3.4%.
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