76% think global warming is real, Va. poll finds

A large majority of Virginians think global warming is real, but most aren't doing much about it, a statewide poll shows.

In the poll conducted by Christopher Newport University's Center for Public Policy and the Virginia Environmental Endowment, 76 percent said global warming is happening. Sixty percent said they have made minor changes to their living and shopping habits, while 29.6 percent said they have made major changes.

The respondents said the most severe problems facing Virginia are the health of the Chesapeake Bay and the mountaintop removal of coal. The least severe problems were listed as air and drinking-water pollution.

The environmental-attitudes survey of 659 registered Virginia voters was conducted between March 18 and March 27. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.

Virginians are pessimistic about the environment, the poll shows. Two-thirds think the environment will stay the same or get worse over the next 10 years. They give Virginia's environment an average grade of C.

Nearly eight in 10 surveyed think it would be worth paying more for a new car or new home if the car used less gas and the home less energy.

Half support cutting funding for new highway construction to increase funding for rail, transit or other alternatives to driving. A tax credit of up to $500 would encourage about half to purchase a hybrid car.

While the environmental survey was being released, a conservative think tank was making the case for increased drilling for oil and gas off the coast of Virginia.

David Schnare, director of the Center for Environmental Stewardship at the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy, said Virginia has considerable offshore energy resources. They likely are far more than the federal government estimates but less than the oil companies estimate, he said.

The resources result in lower energy costs, more Virginia jobs and less reliance on foreign powers, Schnare said. He said the oil and gas could be obtained in an environmentally safe manner.

He cited a national poll that found that 63 percent of adults think finding new sources of energy is more important than reducing energy consumption.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell, who has been promoting offshore drilling, said the report "demonstrates that offshore energy exploration and development is clearly in the best interest of the commonwealth of Virginia and our citizens."

His three Democratic opponents either oppose drilling or have reservations about it.

Contact Tyler Whitley at (804) 649-6780 or .