These poll numbers were released earlier today by Rasmussen Reports -- "an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information."
37% Say Oil Leak Will Have Devastating Long-Term Impact
Wednesday, June 2, 201
Voters strongly believe that the ongoing oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico will have a significant long-term impact on the environment, and they want the companies involved to pay for it.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 37% of voters think the leak will have a devastating long-term impact on the environment. Additionally, 36% more predict a major impact over time.
While three-fourths of voters see a devastating or major impact, only 22% characterize the long-term impact as modest or minor and just 2% say the leak will have little lasting impact.
Still, most voters continue to favor offshore oil drilling , although that support is down. Voters also remain critical of how President Obama and the companies involved are responding to the disaster.
Seventy-nine percent (79%) say the companies drilling for oil should pay for the clean-up. Only one percent (1%) say the government should cover the clean-up costs, but 17% say both should be financially responsible.
Voters are much more narrowly divided over one of the clean-up proposals now being considered by Congress. Forty-one percent (41%) favor raising the tax paid by oil companies on each barrel of oil to pay for future clean-up of oil spills. Forty-six percent (46%) oppose such a tax increase, and 13% are not sure.
The survey of 1,000 Likely U.S. Voters was conducted on May 30-31, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC . See methodology .
Only 22% of voters have at least a somewhat favorable view of BP, also known as British Petroleum, the company responsible for the oil rig that exploded prompting the massive oil leak off the coast of Louisiana. Seventy-two percent (72%) view the company unfavorably. This includes four percent (4%) with a Very Favorable opinion of BP and 33% with a Very Unfavorable one.
Twenty-one percent (21%) say the media is paying too much attention to the Gulf oil leak, while 24% say there is not enough coverage of it. Fifty-one percent (51%) rate the media's coverage of the leak as about right.
Female voters are more inclined than male voters to view the long-term impact of the oil leak as devastating or major. Most men (51%) oppose increasing the per-barrel tax that oil companies pay to fund future clean-ups, but a plurality (46%) of women think it's a good idea.
There is little disagreement across all demographic groups, however, that the responsible companies should pay for the Gulf clean-up.
Seventy-six percent (76%) of all voters think offshore drilling is at least somewhat important in meeting the energy needs of the United States , with 47% who say it is Very Important. But most voters don't think it's a good idea for the government to nationalize all the oil companies and run them on a non-profit basis.
Most voters also are concerned about the environmental risks associated with offshore drilling .
Perhaps surprisingly, the number of voters who believe there is a conflict between economic growth and environmental protection is actually down slightly . Forty-four percent (44%) believe there is such a conflict, but 34% disagree. Another 22% are not sure.