Public Favors Environment Protection Over Energy Production as Priority for U.S.

GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ -- Even though public concern about the energy situation in the United States remains high, Gallup's annual Environment Poll finds that Americans are more likely than ever to say that the government should put a higher priority on protecting the environment than on increasing energy production. When given a choice, Americans are also more likely to prefer conservation of existing energy supplies than increased production of energy. The poll, conducted Mar. 11-14, 2007, finds a slight drop in concern about the United States' energy situation compared to last year, though concern is still high by historical levels. The public continues to give President George W. Bush low marks for his energy policies.

Since 2001, Gallup has asked the American public to assess the trade-off between environmental protection and developing new energy supplies. In this year's poll, 58% of Americans say protection of the environment should be given priority over energy production and development, while 34% say the country's priority should be developing new energy supplies. Americans have always sided with the environment on this question, but the 24-point margin in favor of the environment this year is the highest Gallup has measured to date, and is up considerably from the slim 49% to 42% margin found last year as rising gas prices increased Americans' energy concerns.

When asked to choose, Americans by an even wider margin (64% to 26%) say conservation is the better approach to solving the nation's energy problems than is placing a greater emphasis on energy production. The 38-point gap in favor of conservation is also the largest found in the seven years of Gallup's Environment Poll.

Americans tend to show stronger support for pro-environment policies when economic conditions are considered good, and less support when the economy is slumping or there is a perceived energy shortage (as was the case last year). But the call for greater attention to environmental care in this year's poll comes at a time when concern about energy is still high.

Thirty-seven percent of Americans now say the energy situation in the United States is "very serious," down from 41% last year, but higher than the levels observed from 2002 to 2005 and not much lower than what Gallup measured in the late 1970s. Concern about energy peaked in May 2001, when the combination of rising gasoline prices and rolling blackouts in California due to energy shortages pushed the issue to the top of the public agenda.

Additionally, 43% say they personally worry "a great deal" about the availability and affordability of energy, with an additional 34% saying they worry "a fair amount." Only twice in the last seven years has the percentage of Americans saying they worry "a great deal" been higher -- in 2001 (46%) and last year (48%).

Looking ahead, a majority of Americans (53%) predict the United States will face a critical energy shortage in the next five years. These results are fairly typical of what Gallup has found over time.

The poll finds the public giving President Bush low marks for his handling of the energy issue. Only 26% of Americans say he is doing a good job of "improving the nation's energy policy," while 63% say he is doing a poor job. Those percentages are essentially unchanged from last year, when Bush received his worst review on this measure as president.

Approval of the way a president is handling specific aspects of his job usually rises and falls along with changes in his overall approval rating, which for Bush is now quite low at 35%. Still, the fact that Bush's energy approval rating is below his overall rating suggests that this is a particular area of weakness for him.

Survey Methods

These results are based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 1,009 adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Mar. 11-14, 2007. For results based on this sample, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is ±3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

9. Next I'm going to read a list of problems facing the country. For each one, please tell me if you personally worry about this problem a great deal, a fair amount, only a little, or not at all? First, how much do you personally worry about -- [ITEMS A-J READ IN RANDOM ORDER, ITEM L READ LAST]?

H. The availability and affordability of energy

10. Do you think George W. Bush is doing a good job or a poor job in handling each of the following issues as president? How about -- [RANDOM ORDER]?

B. Improving the nation's energy policy

20. With which one of these statements about the environment and energy production do you most agree -- [ROTATED: protection of the environment should be given priority, even at the risk of limiting the amount of energy supplies -- such as oil, gas and coal -- which the United States produces (or) development of U.S. energy supplies -- such as oil, gas and coal -- should be given priority, even if the environment suffers to some extent]?

23. How serious would you say the energy situation is in the United States -- very serious, fairly serious, or not at all serious?

24. Which of the following approaches to solving the nation's energy problems do you think the U.S. should follow right now -- [ROTATED: emphasize production of more oil, gas and coal supplies (or) emphasize more conservation by consumers of existing energy supplies]?

25. Do you think that the United States is or is not likely to face a critical energy shortage during the next five years?