VCU study: Public divided on offshore drilling

oilspillIn the wake of the BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, President Barack Obama plans to reverse his decision to allow lease sales for oil exploration off the coast of Virginia.

That is a setback for Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, who has made a push for offshore drilling a key part of his agenda.

The new federal policy also will place a six month moratorium on deep sea drilling, according to national media sources. Obama will announce the policy changes in a speech later this afternoon.

And the turnaround on offshore drilling may reflect the view of a majority of Americans according to a new survey by VCU, but just barely.

According to the survey results released today:

A 51 percent majority says the environmental risks outweigh the benefits of offshore drilling; 35 percent think the benefits outweigh the environmental risks. However, opinion among the general population about increasing offshore oil drilling is currently divided with 45 percent in support of increasing offshore drilling and 44 percent opposed.

The survey was conducted by the VCU Center for Public Policy on behalf of VCU Life Sciences. The survey contacted 1,001 adults nationwide by telephone between May 12 and May 18.

The survey also explored public opinion on a host of other environmental issues; a full PDF of the report can be accessed here.

oilspillIn the wake of the BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, President Barack Obama plans to reverse his decision to allow lease sales for oil exploration off the coast of Virginia.

That is a setback for Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, who has made a push for offshore drilling a key part of his agenda.

The new federal policy also will place a six month moratorium on deep sea drilling, according to national media sources. Obama will announce the policy changes in a speech later this afternoon.

And the turnaround on offshore drilling may reflect the view of a majority of Americans according to a new survey by VCU, but just barely.

According to the survey results released today:

A 51 percent majority says the environmental risks outweigh the benefits of offshore drilling; 35 percent think the benefits outweigh the environmental risks. However, opinion among the general population about increasing offshore oil drilling is currently divided with 45 percent in support of increasing offshore drilling and 44 percent opposed.

The survey was conducted by the VCU Center for Public Policy on behalf of VCU Life Sciences. The survey contacted 1,001 adults nationwide by telephone between May 12 and May 18.

The survey also explored public opinion on a host of other environmental issues; a full PDF of the report can be accessed here.

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ng.morris
ng.morris
14 years ago

No, No, and No again. Wake up, and push the development of alternatives!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wonder if people really think about what our dependence on oil is costing us in enviornmental damage. How much of a catastrophe has to occur for people to realize the risk. Nobody addresses the day to day spillage that occurs in the routine transport of oil from the well to the the gas tank… Whoa, I think my brain just exploded…