Weather has become a taboo topic

Pasadena Star News

By: Cynthia Kurtz

Posted 7/10/2013  

There was a time when the weather was considered a neutral topic for polite conversation. You could always bring up the weather. Not anymore. Start talking about the weather and pretty soon you are talking about global warming, climate change, AB 32, and green power. These are definitely not neutral topics! 

Pepperdine University recently surveyed California voters on their opinions about the environment and energy. While the majority of voters believe climate change is a moderate or serious threat, Californians don’t agree on what to do about them and who should pay for the solutions.

Let’s start with climate change - 38 percent of those surveyed say it is a serious threat, 33 percent a moderate threat and 20 percent say it is no threat or not real. Clearly, a majority believe that climate change is some level of threat. 

One would then assume that there would be support for public policies that will address this threat. Don’t jump to that conclusion too quickly. California has adopted the most advanced public policy on climate change, the Global Warming Solutions Act, also known as AB 32. Ask those same people if they think that AB 32 is having a negative or positive effect and 32 percent say positive, 30 percent say negative, and 29 percent say neither.

We know that climate change is strongly linked to power generation and policy leaders are adopting regulations intended to increase the use of “green power.” There are conflicting theories attempting to convince Californians that these policies are creating jobs or driving companies to other states taking the jobs with them. Neither side is winning that battle - 52 percent of voters say they can’t tell how jobs are being impacted while 21 percent say jobs are being created and 27 percent say jobs are being lost.

Cost and jobs are very important to these respondents. When asked if they would be willing to ease environmental regulations on oil extraction and refining if they reduce the price of gasoline and increased the number of jobs in California, 51 percent said yes to just 28 percent responding no.

When it comes to paying for these policies, the message is not surprising. Asked if they would be willing to pay more for gas, electricity, food and other consumers to increase the use of green energy and help the environment, 53 percent said no - 30 percent said yes. 

There are clear winners and losers when it comes to support for future sources of energy: 77 percent support increasing the use of solar; 70 percent support increasing the use of wind; 70 percent support increasing the use of water; 51 percent support increasing the use of liquid natural gas. Only 23 percent support increasing the use of coal.

                                                                                                           

Support for increasing nuclear power is split with 35 percent supporting and 30 percent not supporting it. You may be interested in knowing that this survey was taken after there were known problems at San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant but before Edison’s announcement that they would close the plant

So now that we can’t use the weather as a “go to” topic, how should one start a new conversation? “How about them Dodgers”?