LOS ANGELES, July 28 (Xinhua) -- A strong majority of people in California, the most populous state in the United States, say the effects of climate change have begun, a new survey has found.

According to the statewide survey "Californians and the Environment" published Wednesday by the Public Policy Institute of California, a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank, nearly seven in ten Californians think that the effects of climate change have already begun, while eight in ten Californians say that climate change is either a top concern to them personally or one of several important concerns.

The survey also found eight in ten Californians say that climate change is a serious threat to California's future economy and quality of life. In this context, 66 percent of Californians and 68 percent of likely voters favor the state government making its own policies, separate from the federal government, to address the issue of climate change.

In addition, around 68 percent of Californians say that the supply of water is a big problem in their part of California, while around 55 percent of Californians say that the threat of wildfires is a big problem in their part of California, according to the survey.

"With California facing a severe drought and wildfire season, public awareness has risen of the impact of climate change as well as state policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," the Public Policy Institute of California noted in the key findings of the survey. Enditem

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