14-11-04

Canadians believe the oil and gas industry is causing the greatest damage to the country's environment, pulling slightly ahead of other resource sector industries such as coal, forestry and mining, a newly released government poll shows.

Some 42 % of Canadians say oil and gas is causing "significant damage." Negative perceptions for the industry have jumped 10 % since 1997. The tracking poll, conducted by Environics for Natural Resources Canada, shows the oil and gas sector pulling slightly ahead of the coal sector, which 41 % believe is also causing significant damage to the environment. Meanwhile, the forestry sector has dropped to third place in the negative category (36 %) followed by mining (27 %) and hydroelectric (15 %).

In a similar poll conducted two years ago, the oil and gas sector was in a tie with the forestry sector (43 %) as being the worst offenders of the environment. In another question, the poll found that a majority of Canadians view the environmental damage caused by oiland gas as "unacceptable."
With a margin of error of 2.2 %, 19 times out of 20, the poll involved telephone interviews with 2,000 Canadians between March 29 and April 15. The poll also found there is a declining belief in the country's oil and gas sector, along with the coal industry, when it comes to their commitment to reducing the environmental damage they cause. There were some regional differences in the response. The view that oil and gas was causing a lot of damage was highest in Quebec.

The findings are consistent with a recent poll conducted by the federal government that found support for the Kyoto protocol rising steadily, even in oil-rich Alberta. Four out of five Canadians now back Kyoto.
In 1997, some of the world's major industrialized countries agreed to specific targets of greenhouse gas reductions. Opponents say the accord is pointless, while some proponents say it isn't sufficient and additional agreements are required to address climate change.

According to the federal government, about 40 % of Canada's power comes from natural gas, 30 % from oil and 12 % from coal. The rest comes from nuclear power and renewable resources such as hydro-electricity, wind and solar power.
James Montgomery, a public opinion research co-ordinator at Natural Resources Canada, said the department wants to continue tracking Canadians' perceptions of each resource sector, including their beliefs about the environmental damage they are causing. In 2002, a poll for the department picked up on a noticeable rise in Canadians' perception that the oil and gas sector was causing significant environmental damage.

Source: Ottawa Citizen