Poll: Slight majority favor cap-and-trade

A slight majority of Americans support cap-and-trade legislation to address climate change, a new poll by Ipsos Public Affairs found .

Fifty-two percent of Americans said they support the proposed system to limit emissions, while 41 percent are opposed, according to an Ipsos Public Affairs poll released Friday morning. Seven percent were unsure of their thoughts on the bill.

The poll lends a bit of a boost to the controversial environmental legislation in the U.S. before a global climate change summit kicks in to full effect in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Republicans have derided the legislation, which passed the House in a razor-thin vote this summer but has been struggling to progress in the Senate, as a de facto tax on Americans.

And the poll makes clear: There is a limit to how much Americans are willing to pay to put in place the cap-and-trade system.

Fifty percent of Americans said they would support the program if it raised their electricity bill by $10 per month, while 48 percent would oppose it. Support drops to 43 percent if it were to make Americans' bills $25 more expensive, while 55 percent said they would oppose it.

Support for the program, however, is boosted by the prospect for green job creation, even if it meant more expensive electricity bills.

Sixty-nine percent of Americans said they would support cap-and-trade if it meant more green jobs but a $10 more expensive bill, with 29 percent opposed. 60 percent would be willing to endure paying $25 more if it meant more green jobs, with 36 percent opposed.

The poll, conducted for McClatchy News from Dec. 3-6, has a 2.93 percent margin of error.

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