Regardless of Party, Poll Shows 66% of Key Early State Voters Support 'Ending Production of Fossil Fuels'

"Voters expect the next president to listen to what the science demands, and say yes to a Green New Deal and no to fossil fuels," said Greenpeace USA campaigner Jack Shapiro. (Photo: Peg Hunter/Flickr/cc)

Regardless of Party, Poll Shows 66% of Key Early State Voters Support 'Ending Production of Fossil Fuels'

"These results show that there is public support for a steadfast leader who is willing to take on the fossil fuel industry—so candidates shouldn't be afraid to put forth progressive policies."

Two-thirds of likely voters in the early primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina support "ending the production of fossil fuels," according to a survey released Tuesday by Greenpeace.

The poll also found that of the voters who favor ending fossil fuel production, 50 percent support ceasing production "immediately."

"Voters expect the next president to listen to what the science demands, and say yes to a Green New Deal and no to fossil fuels."
--Jack Shapiro, Greenpeace USA

Fifty-five percent of early primary state voters, regardless of party affiliation, support a government jobs guarantee for those displaced by the transition to a fossil fuel-free economy, according to the survey.

"We already know that climate change is a key issue for voters in this race," Greenpeace USA climate campaigner Jack Shapiro said in a statement on the poll, which was conducted by Civis Analytics on behalf of Greenpeace.

"These results show that there is public support for a steadfast leader who is willing to take on the fossil fuel industry--so candidates shouldn't be afraid to put forth progressive policies," said Shapiro. "Voters expect the next president to listen to what the science demands, and say yes to a Green New Deal and no to fossil fuels."

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is the only 2020 Democratic presidential candidate to call for a moratorium on all new oil and gas projects as part of his sweeping climate agenda, which includes a Green New Deal.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) vowed in April to end fossil fuel drilling on public lands and offshore on day one if she wins the presidency.

The two senators currently rank number one and two on Greenpeace's climate scorecard for the 2020 presidential race, with Sanders earning an A+ and Warren an A-.

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