Two Gallup Polls Pick Environment Over Dirty Energy

[ScienceRocks]

Two Gallup Polls Pick Environment Over Dirty Energy
April 14th, 2015 by Sandy Dechert
Two Gallup Polls Pick Environment Over Dirty Energy CleanTechnica

The Gallup pollsters have been on the phone again. They’ve reported two surveys on energy and the environment in the past week. What they have to say about American attitudes may surprise you. It may also play a role in the upcoming 2016 elections.

The polls found that in March 2015, US citizens have two central attitudes toward these subjects:

• The government is not doing enough to protect the environment, and
• The government overly emphasizes energy production.

One poll shows that an overwhelming majority of Americans (86%) believe that the federal government is doing either “too little … in terms of protecting the environment” (48%, or practically half the nation) or “the right amount” (34%). Only 16% see too much government emphasis on environmental concerns.

According to the other poll, conducted March 5-8, US citizens put a higher priority (49%) on environment over development of energy supplies (39%), a full 10% difference. About one out of 10 people (11%) either had no opinion or could not choose.

Also in this poll, slightly more Americans (52%) believe President Obama has done “a good job” on the environment.

It’s interesting to speculate on why all these results so closely resemble those of last year. A number of factors have changed somewhat since then. Among them:

• The natural gas boom has continued.
• Fuel prices have dropped dramatically.
• Solar and wind technologies have experienced massive growth.
• Scientists expect worse consequences from climate change.
• The President strengthened emission regulations from fossil-fueled power plants.
• The President vetoed the last proposed extension of the Keystone XL pipeline.
• The 2014 elections brought Republican majorities to both houses of Congress.

(Other contributions gratefully accepted.) Either these influences are balancing each other out, or they do not make as much difference as pundits think they do.

A political party split characterizes American opinions. Democrats favor protection of the environment, and Republicans favor energy development (see graph). In a political context, the percentage divide is greater than the difference in popular votes between Bill Clinton and Bob Dole, Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter, and Franklin D. Roosevelt and either Tom Dewey or Wendell Willkie.

Voters have always placed the environment low on their list of pressing political concerns. However, Americans historically place energy production even lower. In Global Research today, Eric Zuesse opines that this, “plus the highly Democratic slant of Independents on those two issues, could turn that low-priority concern into a kingmaker (or queenmaker) in the 2016 campaigns.”

Considering the pro-environmental leaning of Independents, the recent media blast of self-congratulation (“The US is Number One”) from the oil and gas industry may only serve to widen the divide. The numbers also indicate that it would be prudent for Republicans to back off their bloc-vote insistence on climate change denial.

Americans want more wind, solar, hydro, wave, geo-thermal. Less coal and natural gas!

 

[Politico]

It's been a year and we are still waiting on those pictures of your electric car and solar powered house.

 

[gipper]

All Americans want a clean environment. The problem is expecting the corrupt US gov to provide a clean environment.

Most illogical.

 

[Old Rocks]

Was Enron the government, or a private corperation?

 

[gipper]

Was Enron the government, or a private corperation?

Yeah...the US gov is so effective they some how failed to prevent the Enron scandal.

Thanks for making my point.

 

[Old Rocks]

Now that would have been regulation, and the Bush's did not want any part of that. Glad to hear that you are in favor of strict government regulation on business.

 

[westwall]

Was Enron the government, or a private corperation?

Oh, they were very private, and Ken Lay was Al Gores personal adviser on how to screw the people of the USA with a carbon tax.

 

[gipper]

Now that would have been regulation, and the Bush's did not want any part of that. Glad to hear that you are in favor of strict government regulation on business.

The problem my son is gov regulation seldom works when the gov is bought and paid for. We have a very expensive central gov that does little to protect the public. Yet some Americans foolishly want more gov.

 

[ScienceRocks]

Was Enron the government, or a private corperation?

Loserterians want corporations like Enron and the robber barons to watch over the environment. Now that is some crazy shit!

 

[Old Rocks]

Was Enron the government, or a private corperation?

Oh, they were very private, and Ken Lay was Al Gores personal adviser on how to screw the people of the USA with a carbon tax.

Enron s Close Ties to Bush - ABC News

When the energy-trading firm Enron collapsed recently after disclosing financial irregularities, thousands of employees lost their jobs and investors lost billions. Enron's fall also crippled one of President Bush's most loyal corporate supporters.

The Houston-based company was among the first to back Bush when he ran for governor of Texas. Enron and its executives went on to become the largest source of financial support for Bush's gubernatorial campaigns, giving more than $500,000, according to a study by the Center for Public Integrity.

"Enron was the number one career patron for George W. Bush," said center director Charles Lewis. "There was no company in America closer to George W. Bush than Enron." Lewis says the company's goal in backing Bush and other politicians was to encourage further deregulation of the energy industry.

"Enron made a decision that they needed government to go their way and they put the money out to make sure that happened," he said.

Lay was quite willing to get into bed with anyone that would further his ambitions. No differant from the politicians he bought.

 

[Old Rocks]

Now that would have been regulation, and the Bush's did not want any part of that. Glad to hear that you are in favor of strict government regulation on business.

The problem my son is gov regulation seldom works when the gov is bought and paid for. We have a very expensive central gov that does little to protect the public. Yet some Americans foolishly want more gov.

Government does a hell of a lot more to protect the public than corperations.

 

[Moonglow]

All Americans want a clean environment. The problem is expecting the corrupt US gov to provide a clean environment.

Most illogical.

Well we all know that corporate raping of the land in the USA won't police their messes...

 

[Old Rocks]

But, today, the public is realizing that we can have our cake and eat it, also. You see, now we are seeing the price of renewable energy actually going lower than the price of fossil fuels. And without the subsidery prices of the medical problems for the public that the fossil fuels create. The GOP has fought this tooth and nail, while the Dems following the President have supported it. Now it is paying off, and the market economy will put solar, wind, and geo-thermal to the forefront.

No longer is it a choice between the environment and energy. We can, using our resources wisely, have both. And at a lessor cost than for fossil fuels.

 

[ScienceRocks]

All Americans want a clean environment. The problem is expecting the corrupt US gov to provide a clean environment.

Most illogical.

Well we all know that corporate raping of the land in the USA won't police their messes...

Look at what they did in the early 20th century in both America and Europe. We need government to make sure they don't ever do this shit again!

 

[Politico]

All Americans want a clean environment. The problem is expecting the corrupt US gov to provide a clean environment.

Most illogical.

No they don't. I and many others could give a shit less about your Millennial environment.

 

[gipper]

All Americans want a clean environment. The problem is expecting the corrupt US gov to provide a clean environment.

Most illogical.

Well we all know that corporate raping of the land in the USA won't police their messes...

Well we all OUGHT to know that our huge omnipresent very expense very corrupt central government won't stop it.

 

[gipper]

All Americans want a clean environment. The problem is expecting the corrupt US gov to provide a clean environment.

Most illogical.

Well we all know that corporate raping of the land in the USA won't police their messes...

Look at what they did in the early 20th century in both America and Europe. We need government to make sure they don't ever do this shit again!

Well then, we are going to need a new government....cause the one we have is bought and paid for by the corporations and the oligarchy.

 

[Moonglow]

All Americans want a clean environment. The problem is expecting the corrupt US gov to provide a clean environment.

Most illogical.

Well we all know that corporate raping of the land in the USA won't police their messes...

Well we all OUGHT to know that our huge omnipresent every expense every corrupt central government won't stop it.

It has made a dent in it since Nixon..

 

[westwall]

Was Enron the government, or a private corperation?

Oh, they were very private, and Ken Lay was Al Gores personal adviser on how to screw the people of the USA with a carbon tax.

Enron s Close Ties to Bush - ABC News

When the energy-trading firm Enron collapsed recently after disclosing financial irregularities, thousands of employees lost their jobs and investors lost billions. Enron's fall also crippled one of President Bush's most loyal corporate supporters.

The Houston-based company was among the first to back Bush when he ran for governor of Texas. Enron and its executives went on to become the largest source of financial support for Bush's gubernatorial campaigns, giving more than $500,000, according to a study by the Center for Public Integrity.

"Enron was the number one career patron for George W. Bush," said center director Charles Lewis. "There was no company in America closer to George W. Bush than Enron." Lewis says the company's goal in backing Bush and other politicians was to encourage further deregulation of the energy industry.

"Enron made a decision that they needed government to go their way and they put the money out to make sure that happened," he said.

Lay was quite willing to get into bed with anyone that would further his ambitions. No differant from the politicians he bought.

 

[westwall]

Now that would have been regulation, and the Bush's did not want any part of that. Glad to hear that you are in favor of strict government regulation on business.

The problem my son is gov regulation seldom works when the gov is bought and paid for. We have a very expensive central gov that does little to protect the public. Yet some Americans foolishly want more gov.

Government does a hell of a lot more to protect the public than corperations.

Then why do you allow Goldman Sachs to continue raping the American public with this fraud?