Climate change: Jersey Shore more worried since Sandy, poll finds

A new poll shows nearly three in four Jersey Shore residents believe sea level rise and coastal storms to be a "very serious" threat to their way of life, a sign that climate change warnings are reaching the most vulnerable populations.

New Jerseyans who live in Monmouth and Ocean counties – both were hard hit by superstorm Sandy in 2012 – view the risks represented by climate change more gravely than their counterparts in New York, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, according to the Monmouth University Polling Institute.

That's not to say that rising seas and coastal storms don't frighten our neighbors in the mid-Atlantic.

When compared with a similar poll Monmouth conducted in 2009, a growing share of residents in each state said they believed the threat to be grim.

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But on the Shore, the rate skyrocketed from 32 percent in 2009 who said the danger posed to them by climate change was "very serious" to 73 percent this year.

“Sandy clearly changed how coastal residents view the threats of climate change and sea level rise,” said Tony MacDonald, director of Monmouth's Urban Coastal Institute, in a statement. “There is a much firmer acceptance of the warnings coming from the scientific community along with an expectation that government should be doing more about it.”

Some additional findings from the survey:

While most New Jerseyans believe in climate change, just one in three believes humanity's actions are driving it . Twenty percent say its natural, while 44 percent think it's a combination of the two.

. Twenty percent say its natural, while 44 percent think it's a combination of the two. Protecting the coastal environment was the most consensus "high priority" (82 percent) of coastal communities in New Jersey – higher than improving public education (72), creating jobs (70) and lowering taxes (70).

(82 percent) of coastal communities in New Jersey – higher than improving public education (72), creating jobs (70) and lowering taxes (70). 68 percent of New Jerseyans are willing to pay additional taxes to protect the coastal waters, shoreline and beaches near their homes.

to protect the coastal waters, shoreline and beaches near their homes. The same percentage would support off-shore windmills with the very important caveat that the turbines not be visible from the shore. That's a sharp drop from 83 percent in 2009.

with the very important caveat that the turbines not be visible from the shore. That's from 83 percent in 2009. Just over half of New Jersey survey respondents support the idea if the windmills can be seen, which is also down from 2009 .

. Support for oil and gas drilling off the Atlantic coast plummeted. Where a slim majority of New Jerseyans supported the idea in 2009, now only 21 percent think its a good idea.

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Russ Zimmer: 732-557-5748, razimmer@app.com, @russzimmer