March 01, 2011 12:12 AM UTC

Overwhelming Support for Our Values

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• by: ColoradoConservationVoters

( – promoted by Colorado Pols)

Two polls released recently, Colorado College’s State of The Rockies and a poll commissioned by National Defense Resources Council , provide further proof that Coloradans not only have a passion for the environment, but demand its protection.

The NRDC poll focused on Colorado’s Congressional District 4, and showed that newly elected Congressman Cory Gardner’s constituents overwhelmingly support the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Rep. Gardner sits on the Energy and Commerce committee and is in a particularly powerful position to weigh in on the issue of EPA’s authority. We hope he will take into account the clear will of the voters in his district when working on H.R. 97; a bill aimed at preventing the EPA from addressing carbon pollution.

The State of the Rockies poll presents looks at voter opinions in the Rocky Mountain Region. All too often, pundits say that environmental protections come at the cost of jobs. 77% of Colorado voters reject this myth and believe that we can simultaneously have a strong economy and clean air and water.

The passage in the Colorado state House of a bill exempting Larimer and Weld Counties from the automobile inspection and readjustment (AIR) program is also in contrast to the poll’s finding. 70% of Colorado Voters support EPA requiring reductions in carbon emissions to reduce global warming, including cars and factories. Along those same lines, 65% of Colorado voters believe our environmental laws should either remain the same or be strengthened. 81% agree “we need to do more to ensure our oil, gas and mining companies follow laws protecting our land, air and water.”

The poll reaffirms what Coloradans have said over and over about solar and wind energy – they strongly support using more renewable energy.  In fact, 87% of Colorado voters would pay more if they knew their energy was coming from renewable sources. Other highlights from the State of the Rockies’ poll include: 71% of Colorado voters see our natural environment as fragile and in need of protection, and 87% say that even with our state’s budget problems money should be provided to protect the state’s land, water and wildlife.

These two polls should serve as reminder to members of Congress and state legislators that we in the West value our natural resources and the laws that protect them. In the face of attacks on these critical laws, we must make it clear to our elected representatives how much we value our air, land and water.  These polls remind us of what we already knew intuitively – Colorado is a place where hikers, hunters, skiers, and just about everyone values the state’s unrivaled natural beauty and believes we need to act to protect it.