Voters Favour Wind
Farms, Offshore and on Land
High support for public investment in alternative energy
TORONTO November 23rd
– In a random sampling of public opinion taken by the Forum Poll™ among 1184
Ontario voters, one half favour rural wind farms (54%) and a similar proportion
favour offshore wind farms (52%). In each case, 3-in-10 or fewer disapprove
(30% and 26%, respectively). Between one sixth and one fifth don’t have an opinion
(15% and 22%, respectively).
Two thirds support public investment in alternative energy
Two thirds of voters
support investing public funds in developing alternative energy sources like
wind, solar and geothermal (65%), and this is especially common to the youngest
(77%), the leas wealthy (70%), in the city of Toronto (71%), among Liberals
(87%) and New Democrats (77%) and the best educated (post grad - 70%). Fewer
than one quarter oppose this kind of public investment (22%) and about one
tenth don’t have an opinion (13%). Opposition is characteristic of the middle
aged (45 to 64 - 28%), males (28%) rather than females (15%), the wealthy ($80K
to $100K - 27%), in Eastern Ontario (28%), among PC supporters (40%) especially
and among the least educated (secondary school or less - 26%).
Most believe alternative energy sources will be sufficient in
future
The plurality of
voters (44%) believe alternative energy sources like wind, solar and geothermal
will be sufficient to replace oil, gas and coal in the future, while just
3-in-10 don’t believe this to be the case (30%) and one quarter don’t know if
it is or not (25%). Belief in the future of alternative fuels sources is
strongest among the youngest, the least wealthy, in Northern Ontario and among
Liberals.
“The majority favour
wind farms, onshore or off, which is not what their opponents would have us
believe. The public also believes in public investment in new fuel sources,
which is also not the current received wisdom. It appears the provincial
Liberal government’s Green Energy program has promise, although not in its
current form,” said Forum Research President, Dr. Lorne Bozinoff.
Lorne Bozinoff, Ph.D. is the president and
founder of Forum Research. He can be reached at lbozinoff@forumresearch.com or
at (416) 960-9603
