Poll: 8 in 10 want drivers to drop SUVs


WILL LESTER

Associated Press



WASHINGTON - Eight in 10 people say it's important for Americans now driving sport utility vehicles to switch to more fuel-efficient vehicles to reduce the nation's dependence on oil, a poll found.

With gas prices hovering around $3 a gallon nationally and the price of natural gas rising sharply, six in 10 said they are not confident President Bush is taking the right approach to solving the nation's energy problems, according to the survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.

Given several choices for dealing with energy problems, the public has some clear preferences:

_Almost seven in 10 want the government to establish price controls on gasoline and want more spending on subway, rail and bus systems.

_Just over seven in 10 want to give tax cuts to companies to develop wind, solar and hydrogen energy.

_Just over eight in 10 want higher fuel efficiency required for cars, trucks and SUVs.

_Slightly more than half, 52 percent, favor giving tax cuts to energy companies to explore for more oil.

The rising anxiety over high gas prices has caused a shift in public priorities about the importance of exploring for new energy.

Almost six in 10 now say exploring for new sources of energy is more important than protecting the environment. People were evenly split on that question in 2002. Half now support drilling for oil and gas in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska - up from 42 percent who felt that way in March.

Only four in 10 wanted to promote the increased use of nuclear power, while slightly more than half opposed that step.

The Pew poll of 1,523 adults was taken Sept. 8-11 and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

ON THE NET

Pew Research Center - http://www.people-press.org

Yeah, and 7 in 10 Americans every January say they are going to lose weight and keep it off.

I'm just waiting with baited breath for WalMart and Toys R Us to replace the radio-controled Hummers with a radio-controled Prius - right.

61.5mpg lifetime - 82mpg in recent months

Best Run >
www.cleanmpg.com

"fanatic" is what the lazy call the dedicated

8 in 10 drivers also ranks themselves above average in driving skill too. I can bet you anything that the poll works like this.

Polltaker: "Do you think that SUV owners should switch to more fuel efficient vehicles?"

Joe Anybody: "Oh, absolutely, my neighbor has one and doesn't need it, and most of my co-workers have no need for one."

Polltaker: "So, you own an SUV yourself, don't you?"

Joe Anybody: "Yeah, but I need mine, it's those other people that need to change their ways, not me."

You tell me the political persuasion of the pollster (or who is paying), and I'll tell you the results.

Trends within the same polling organization, however, are worth paying attention to.

R2-E2, 2G Prius.
Highway/City/Husband/Wife MPG: 56.5, as of 12/2005, 26K miles

Jac Nasser, Ford President: "We are planning to launch a hybrid version of
this car [P2000] within this year [1998]. We will also make FCEV available in
2004."

Okay all you naysayers. I too agree with your analysis of polling in general. However, I see some hope in this poll. I can imagine the percentages of folks who scoff at alternative energy sources, and more efficient energy sources, being much higher in the past, and I believe there may be some movement in a positive direction that is reflected in the poll.

So I'm going to hold out some hope that there is a subtle, but perceptible, shift in the attitudes of at least some of the general population, when it comes to our dependency on oil and the pursuit of alternate strategies to overcome this.

You're right, there is a shift. Dumb$#%^* would rather fork over some of our most cherished natural preserves than opt to fund either alternative forms of energy or continue to import oil from nations who've already raped their landscapes by taking exactly the same less-progressive view on the importance of wildlife. Great. I can't wait.