US millennials want to protect Arctic, Atlantic from drilling, poll results show
A new Hart Research poll commissioned by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the League of Conservation Voters found that most Americans, especially millennials, would support a move by US President Barack Obama to permanently protect the Arctic and Atlantic oceans by barring future offshore leasing for oil and gas drilling
The public is generally opposed to expanding oil, gas, and coal development on public waters and lands, and supports protecting the Arctic and Atlantic coasts. A solid majority would support preventing the expansion of new leases on all public lands and oceans.
“What we learned today is that a majority of Americans support permanently protecting the Arctic and Atlantic oceans from offshore drilling, and two in three Americans think we should keep fossil fuels in the ground to help address climate change,” said Congressman Jared Huffman, urging on the government to end the nation’s addiction to fossil fuels and focus on tackling climate change instead.
“Americans want the US to stop using lands held in the public trust to pursue more dirty fuels of the past,” said Franz Matzner, director of the Beyond Oil program at NRDC. “They want to invest our public resources in clean energy sources that will benefit our health, our climate and future generations.”
“There is broad public support for stopping the expansion of dirty energy production on public lands and waters and accelerating our transition to clean energy,” said Alex Taurel, deputy legislative director of the League of Conservation Voters.
89% of Americans have a favorable reaction to expanding development of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, by far the most broadly and deeply popular energy development proposal measured in the survey.
Jay Campbell, senior vice president of Hart Research Associates, said that the survey results show that Americans are prioritizing the protection of the country’s public lands and the development of clean, renewable energy.
The poll surveyed 1,103 registered voters from September 21 to 25, 2016, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.