Poll: Rural New Mexicans Strongly Support Environmental Protections

New Mexico voters strongly support environmental safeguards that protect public health, land, air and water -- according to a poll and analysis released today. The poll, conducted by Conservation Voters New Mexico Education Fund (CVNMEF), found that 7 out of 10 rural New Mexico voters polled support stronger environmental safeguards. Furthermore, the majority of voters polled support efforts to reduce carbon pollution.

“All New Mexicans have a fundamental right to breathe clean air and drink clean water, said Sandy Buffett, Executive Director of CVNM Education Fund, in a written statement. “It is clear that voters in rural New Mexico support common-sense environmental safeguards to protect our families for generations to come.”

Here's a list of key findings from the 700-person survey of seven rural counties conducted September 13 – 19, 2010.

• 77% of voters polled support adopting stronger regulations to protect our drinking water and soil from contamination.
• 76% of voters polled support increasing penalties on polluters for contaminating our air or water.
• 75% of voters polled support allowing the state to deny or revoke permits for polluters with bad environmental records.
• 59% of voters polled support having the United States reduce carbon pollution. Additionally, the majority of voters polled support regional (53%) and state-level (51%) efforts to reduce carbon pollution. 61% of those polled agreed with the following statement: “I believe New Mexico can reduce global warming pollution and expand jobs and economic prosperity at the same time.”
• When asked what conservation or environmental concerns voters were most concerned about, drought (69%), drinking water pollution (59%), and contamination of soil and water (57%) topped the list.

The poll was conducted from September 13th, 2010 to September 19th, 2010 by Third Eye Strategies of 700 registered voters in the following counties in New Mexico: McKinley, Mora, Cibola, San Miguel, Rio Arriba, Grant and Luna. The survey has a margin of error of ± 3.7 percent. To view the full poll and the poll analysis, visit www.CVNMEF.org.