World Changing

Support for renewable energy and hesitancy on nuclear and coal generation of electricity is part of the mandate President-elect Obama received at the polls. Common Dreams reports that this support is global in scope, based on a survey of more than 2,000 residents in 21 disparate countries:

An average of 77 percent of respondents thought policy-makers should require utilities to invest more in alternative energy, with country results ranging from 50 percent support in Russia to 89 percent in South Korea.

With an average agreement of 74 percent, almost the same enthusiasm was shown for greater efforts to make buildings more energy efficient. The lowest support, 54 percent, was found in the Palestinian Territories, while an overwhelming 89 percent of French and British want to see stronger commitments by their governments.

In contrast, fewer than half of the nations polled favour more emphasis on nuclear energy, coal or oil to meet energy demands in the future. Only in Kenya, Argentina, Jordan and Nigeria did researchers find more than 50-percent support for building new coal- and oil-fired power plants.

69% of respondents would bear higher short-term costs if necessary to support alternative energy and energy efficiency.