A survey of Latino voters in California, that was released Thursday, finds the same kind of deeply held conservation values that national polling among Latinos has shown. Two-thirds of California’s Latino voters identify as conservationists and the state’s Latino voters overwhelmingly believe that we can “protect the environment and create jobs at the same time.”
In fact, 90 percent of California’s Latino voters believe that the environment and jobs are not at odds, with 69 percent strongly agreeing.
Also notable, nearly all Latino voters in California support energy conservation (96 percent support, 65 percent strongly support) and renewable energy sources like solar and wind power are also extremely popular (91 percent support, 68 percent strongly support).
Conversely, Latinos in California show far lower support for polluting energy sources, with a slight majority opposing drilling off the California coast (51 percent oppose).
Here are some more of the findings:
- Two-thirds of Latino voters (66 percent) consider themselves “conservationists,” with nearly three out of 10 (28 percent) strongly self-identifying as conservationists;
- Toxic pollution (85 percent serious problem, 54 percent very serious problem), water pollution (80 percent serious problem, 43 percent very serious problem), and “pollution threatening your family’s health and well being” rate as the top environmental concerns among Latinos;
- Nearly two-thirds of Latino voters (65 percent) believe conserving our fish and wildlife habitats is a serious concern—noticeably higher than other groups of voters in California;
- A quarter of Latinos (25 percent) have at least one household member suffering from asthma, and these voters are even more concerned about toxic pollution affecting their family’s health as well as other conservation issues.
The poll was commissioned by the California League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, and conducted by Tulchin Research. The firm polled 500 Latino voters from September 5-13 in English and Spanish. According to New America Media, Latinos are a growing voting bloc, accounting for nearly 38 percent of California’s population—about 14 million. But Latinos make up just 16 percent of those most likely to vote, according to surveys by the Public Policy Institute of California.
CLCV Education Fund conducted the first-ever environmental survey of California Latinos in 2000. Thursday’s poll further confirms that “conservation is a core Latino value,” pollster Ben Tulchin told New America Media, adding that the new poll highlights this sentiment with even greater “intensity, depth, and breadth.”
