Religion and the Environment: Polls Show Strong Backing For Environmental Protection Across Religious Groups

In contrast to abortion, gay marriage and other hot-button cultural issues, which divide most religious groups in the United States, there is a fairly strong consensus across faith traditions on environmental policy, according to recent polls sponsored by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

Nevertheless, conservative Christians and some minorities are not quite as supportive of environmental regulations as are others.

By a two-to-one margin (55 percent to 27 percent ) respondents back strong regulations to protect the environment. Furthermore, the level of support is quite deep. Respondents in this survey were asked whether they favored stronger environmental regulations "even if they cost jobs or result in higher prices."