By Cooper Smith
As Earth Day came and went, New Yorkers remain sharply divided on whether the state should prioritize reducing fossil fuel use or focus on keeping energy costs down, according to a Siena College Research Institute poll released Wednesday.
The survey of 618 New York residents found that 46% support restricting fossil fuel usage and expanding renewable energy, even if it raises prices, while 43% say the state should focus on lowering energy costs, even if it means relying more on fossil fuels.
While energy policy remains a point of contention, the poll shows broad concern about the effects of climate change. Nearly half of respondents — 46% — believe climate change is already harming people, and 62% say they are at least somewhat concerned it will harm them personally within their lifetime. A larger share, 73%, worry about the impact on their children or younger generations.
“New Yorkers are stuck between their wallets and their environmental concerns,” said Travis Brodbeck, associate director of data management at Siena College Research Institute. “There is anxiety about personal harm from climate change and the well-being of future generations, but there’s also a strong appetite for keeping energy affordable today.”
The poll also found that 72% of respondents view climate change as either a very serious or somewhat serious problem. Yet, when it comes to policy approaches, 61% agree that keeping energy costs affordable should take priority over reducing greenhouse gas emissions right now.
However, 77% say that environmental policies like reducing greenhouse gases will benefit the long-term health of New Yorkers, and 67% believe the transition to renewable energy will be an economic development success for New York businesses. At the same time, 46% worry that such policies could make it harder for businesses to succeed in the state.
Among party lines, a majority of Democrats favor environmental protections even if they increase costs, while Republicans and independents are more likely to prioritize affordability over emissions reductions. Still, more than 80% of respondents across all political affiliations agree that the state should pursue both goals by using a mix of fossil fuels and renewable energy.
The survey also tested support for several specific environmental proposals. Among the findings:
- 73% support requiring large companies to reduce packaging to cut down on waste.
- 66% back the state’s goal to achieve zero carbon emissions in the electricity sector by 2040.
- 61% support increasing the state bottle deposit from 5 cents to 10 cents.
- 48% want fracking using carbon dioxide banned.
- New Yorkers were evenly split on congestion pricing and policies to reduce vehicle use, with 43% in favor and 44% opposed.
“When it comes to designing policies to protect the environment, 64% of New Yorkers feel that policy makers should wield both the carrot and the stick – using penalties and incentives to meet environmental goals,” Brodbeck said. “And when making decisions on what to purchase, 3 in 10 consumers always choose the cheaper option regardless of environmental impact, a plurality (45%) choose the environmentally friendly option if the cost difference is small, and 2 in 10 consumers always choose the environmentally friendly option.”