51% of Californians back offshore drilling

[BadgerKid]

Source: San Francisco Chronicle
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/31/MNHL122B1T.DTL


(07-30) 22:28 PDT San Francisco -- A majority of Californians favor more oil drilling off the coast, according to a statewide survey released Wednesday, for the first time since oil prices spiked nearly three decades ago.

...

Those surveyed overwhelmingly support state requirements to reduce greenhouse gases by increasing the use of renewable energy from solar and wind sources and requiring carmakers, refineries and utilities to initiate tougher controls on emissions.

...

In answer to an open-ended question about the state's most important environmental problem, after air pollution, people listed gas prices, energy and oil drilling, global warming and the loss of forests and wildfires. For the first time, worry over gas prices took a jump, from 1 percent last year to 12 percent this year.


More support among GOP

But the biggest single factor in the change in attitude to drilling, he said, is "much more political support among Republican voters for offshore oil drilling than there was a year ago. The Republicans are hearing both from the president and the presidential nominee, who are making the case that drilling is good for economic and national security."

Republicans account for the greatest jump in support of offshore oil drilling, with 77 percent in favor, compared with 60 percent in the same poll last year. Democrats increased support to 35 percent in favor from 29 percent last year. Independents shifted to 44 percent in support compared with 33 percent in favor last year.

Some suggested that respondents would have answered differently if they had more information.

"The appropriate question is if you knew you could get more energy from efficiency and clean technologies such as solar, wind and geothermal, would you rather do that or drill along our pristine coast and risk harming a multibillion-dollar tourism, fishing and recreation economy," said Sen. Barbara Boxer, chairwoman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. She supports a congressional moratorium on exploration off the shores of coastal states.

On Tuesday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was joined by governors of Oregon and Washington in asking for an extension of the moratorium. The governors of Maine, New Jersey and Maryland also want an extension.


---------------------


Just two weeks ago, 43% supported drilling (
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3399942 ).

[whistle]

1. 49% don't then

[Demobrat]

2. This is really scary.

If this is the case in CA, what is it inland? 99.9? This is the one issue McCain has in his favor. Obama needs to get out there and make the point over and over that drilling will have no effect on supply or gas prices for 7-10 years, and that's what McCain is admitting to, so it's probably double.

[wurzel]

3. It seems Californians are no smarter than the rest of the population.

[BrklynLiberal]

5. As ill-informed, anyway. Sad but true.

[BrklynLiberal]

4. I wonder if they realize that it won't lower oil prices.It won't provide any results for at least

10 years. And the offshore drilling rigs are prime sources of horrendous pollution in the case of a storm or earthquake.
and of course...most of that oil will probably be sold to some foreign country where the oil companies can get higher prices for it.

Think of those that said they were in favor of the drilling really knew any of this???

[frylock]

6. and i bet that the majority of them live in the central valley, riverside county..

and other places that aren't remotely near the coastal regions.

[bhbwl]

7. More lies from chimpy's toadies in the conservative MSM. Ho-hum/nt

[marmar]

8. An ill-informed populace cannot resist encroaching fascism.....

.... Although I suspect that if you polled only in the Bay Area, the numbers would be much better.

[depakid]

9. Californians more than most are so dependent on their cars

that they'll believe and support most ANYTHING once their wasteful lifestyles are threatened. Things are going to get very ugly in the golden state over the next decade.