Article taken from the
Policy Institute of California
PPIC
Statewide Survey: Special Survey on Californians and the Environment
By Mark
Baldassare
11-17-03
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November 2003, 34 pp.
No Charge
Full
text of report (PDF)
This is the 40th PPIC Statewide Survey and the sixth in a series of
eight surveys that will focus on population growth, land use, and the
environment. This survey focuses in particular on marine and coastal
issues.
Some findings of the current survey
- The vast majority (88%) of Californians say that the condition of the ocean and beaches is personally important to them, with 60% saying it is very important.
- Over half (52%) of the state's residents believe that the quality of the ocean along the state's shoreline has deteriorated in the past two decades.
- Three in four residents (77%) support protecting wetlands and beach/bay habitats even if it means less commercial activity near the coast.
- Half of all those surveyed (50%) favor prohibiting new off-shore oil drilling along California's coast, even if it means higher gasoline prices.
- Nearly all Californians agree that environmental protection
should be a priority for the Schwarzenegger administration.
Almost one-third (32%) think it should be a top priority,
while a large majority (57%) say it should be an important
priority.