Back in February of this year, 63 percent of the public supported more
offshore drilling as a policy response to address our energy
needs, compared to 31 percent who were opposed. Today a majority
of the public—52 percent—opposes offshore drilling, and support
has fallen to 44 percent.
Compare
those views on allowing more offshore drilling to the robust
support for requiring that new homes and buildings meet higher
efficiency standards (78 percent), for increasing federal
funding for research on wind, solar, and hydrogen technology (75
percent), and for spending more on subway, rail, and bus systems
(64 percent).
This comes on the heels of last week's NBC/WSJ poll, indicating strong support for energy reform and a growing distaste for offshore drilling. The public is sending a clear message about their priorities for meeting our energy needs.