By the OGJ Online Staff
WASHINGTON, DC, Oct. 4 -- The number of Americans who favor increasing energy production to improve national security has increased dramatically, said a Wirthlin Worldwide poll.
The poll was sponsored by Arctic Power, a group lobbying for oil development on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.
Wirthlin surveyed 1,006 adults in the Lower 48 states Sept. 15-17, after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the US. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1%.
The survey said 61% of the respondents believed that the positives of exploration and production in ANWR outweigh the negatives, up from just 39% in July.
It found that 71% favored increasing domestic supplies of traditional energy sources, including oil, natural gas, coal, and nuclear power. Also, 38% of respondents cited protecting national security by ensuring stable energy supplies as the reason to act on a comprehensive national energy plan, up from 19% in July.
Roger Herrera, a Washington spokesman for Arctic Power, said, "This is not a time for Congress to take a wait and see approach about our nation's energy security. The nation is speaking to our elected officials quite clearly: We believe war is imminent, we believe our people are at risk of further attacks, and we believe energy security is a key component in the effort to improve our national security."
