A large majority of Americans across political lines in five key states including Florida -- electoral and presidential battleground states, that is -- support a national agenda that favors clean air, clean water, health safeguards and action on climate change. This according to research conducted for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) by the bipartisan polling team of Hart Research Associates and American Viewpoint. The NRDC reports that the public opinion research showed that a strong majority of Americans of all political stripes in Florida, Colorado, Maine, New Hampshire and Virginia support existing environmental protections, “and many -- including Republicans -- favor tougher environmental enforcement.” The majority of those polled also oppose the rollback of environmental regulations, the weakening of air and water protection, or the blocking of climate action, according to the poll. The bottom line, according to the NRDC, is that Americans are calling for clean energy, health safeguards and a steady resolve to protect their future from dangerous climate change. “The message from our surveys is abundantly clear,” Jay Campbell, senior vice president of Hart Research Associates, is quoted saying. “Residents in these states --reflecting the attitudes of people across the country -- favor policies that protect public health and the environment in a host of areas. And in most of these areas there is more agreement across party lines than dissention.” Added American Viewpoint Vice President David Kanevsky: “While Republicans and Democrats in Washington may disagree on some of these issues, Republicans, Democrats and Independents in the states find areas of common ground in support of renewable energy and protecting the environment.” Among the poll’s key findings: • More than 75 percent in each of the five states said protections were about right or should be toughened. In Florida, moreover, 50 percent indicated they wanted a tougher approach taken to enforcing environmental standards and safeguards. The latter percentages were 42 percent in Colorado, 45 percent in Maine, 49 percent in New Hampshire and 47 percent in Virginia. • Those polled indicated they wanted more energy efficiency and clean energy: The support, among all respondents: Florida, 67 percent; Colorado, 56 percent; Maine 65 percent; New Hampshire, 70 percent; and Virginia, 66 percent. • Those polled strongly favored clean energy over Keystone XL tar sands pipeline or offshore drilling. The difference between sustainable energy versus Keystone XL as “high priorities”: Florida 74-39 percent; Colorado is 62-39 percent; Maine 75-31 percent; New Hampshire 73-30 percent; and Virginia 72-41 percent. • Majorities of those polled believed that man is influencing climate change. The numbers: Florida, 55 percent; Colorado, 53 percent; Maine, 64 percent; New Hampshire 62 percent; and Virginia 48 percent. • Those polled overwhelmingly supported EPA climate action relative to limiting carbon pollution from power plants by the following percentages: Florida, 74 percent; Colorado, 66 percent; Maine 74 percent; New Hampshire, 72 percent; and Virginia 69 percent. • Large majorities of those polled indicated support for clean water by endorsing the application of the proposed Clean Water Rule to smaller sources of drinking water: The percentages: Florida, 77 percent; Colorado, 73 percent; Maine 74 percent; New Hampshire, 73 percent; and Virginia, 75 percent. • Those polled strongly backed protections from fracking impacts on communities, water supplies and wildlife. Noteworthy: most didn’t support an outright ban on new fracking; rather, they favored temporary moratoriums to allow for further study of the impacts of the practice. The percentages: Florida, 69 percent; Colorado, 68 percent; Maine, 70 percent; New Hampshire, 69 percent; and Virginia, 73 percent. The surveys were conducted among 2,016 likely voters in the five states, averaging about 540 voters per state. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.0 percentage points for the voter samples. Founded in 1970, the NRDC is an international nonprofit organization with more than 1.3 million members that works to protect the world's natural resources, public health and the environment. For more information, visit http://www.nrdc.org/