PPIC on Environment

The PPIC has a new poll out today about Californians and the environment. Read it here. Here are the highlights: *An overwhelming number of likely voters in California (87%) say candidates’ positions on the environment and coast will be important in the 2006 gubernatorial elections. *Latinos are more likely than whites (60% to 44%) to say the environmental policies of gubernatorial candidates are very important to them. *Across political parties, support is high for reducing ocean and beach pollution, even if it means paying higher taxes (Democrats 80%, independents 73%, Republicans 68%). *Partisan accord breaks down over offshore oil drilling: Eighty percent of Democrats and 69 percent of independents oppose it, while 51percent of Republicans favor it. *Many Californians are very concerned about fish or other seafood for sale having contaminants such as mercury (64%) and being commercially overfished (46%).