Poll: Western voters want to end U.S. dependence on oil

From the Union of Concerned Scientists:

An overwhelming majority of voters in seven Western states are concerned that gas prices will continue to rise unless urgent action is taken to reduce oil consumption and global warming emissions, according to a survey released by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) presented today at the last public stakeholder meeting of the Western Climate Initiative (WCI) in San Diego, CA. [...]

Even if the price of gasoline drops in the short term, 95 percent of voters surveyed in Arizona, California, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Washington say that immediate action is needed to avoid a future crisis, and 91 percent say it is critical to end U.S. dependence on oil. Meanwhile, 83 percent of the respondents say that gas prices are going to rise over the long run unless we take action to make our cars and trucks run on less gas, alternative fuels or electricity.

"Voters are demanding that their state leaders move further and faster to reduce our dependence on oil and the global warming emissions that dependency produces," said Patricia Monahan, deputy director for UCS' Clean Vehicles, who will present the poll results and urge policymakers to include transportation solutions under the region's pending plan to reduce global warming pollution. "Our survey found that Westerners astutely understand the need to transition from oil to clean, renewable fuels to avoid a future crisis triggered by escalating gas prices."