(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - At least seven-in-ten adults in the United States believe the best way to make their country more energy independent is to drill for oil, according to a poll by Opinion Dynamics released by Fox News. 75 per cent of respondents favour increasing drilling for oil in the U.S. immediately, and 71 per cent would increase offshore drilling in U.S. coastal areas.

In addition, 56 per cent of respondents would drill for oil in a small area of the Alaskan Wildlife Refuge. At least 52 per cent of respondents are opposed to reducing the speed limit on interstate highways to 55 miles per hour, rationing gasoline and oil, and increasing the federal tax on gasoline.

In April 2005, U.S. president George W. Bush declared, "I wish I could simply wave a magic wand and lower gas prices tomorrow; I’d do that. Unfortunately, higher gas prices are a problem that has been years in the making."

In the U.S., the federal taxes for fuel stand at 18.4 cents per gallon for gasoline, and 24.4 cents per gallon for diesel. In May, Arizona senator John McCain—the presumptive presidential nominee for the Republican Party in this year’s United States election—called for a temporary suspension of the federal gasoline tax. Illinois senator Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic Party presidential nominee, dismissed the idea.

On Jun. 14, Bush discussed the topic, saying, "To reduce pressure on prices we must continue to implement good conservation policies, and we need to increase the supply of oil, especially here at home. For years, my administration has been calling on Congress to expand domestic oil production. Unfortunately, Democrats on Capitol Hill have rejected virtually every proposal—and now Americans are paying at the pump."

Polling Data

Thinking now about the energy situation, please tell me if you favour or oppose the following ways to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign oil and make the United States more energy independent.

Source: Opinion Dynamics / Fox News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 900 registered American voters, conducted on Jul. 22 and Jul. 23, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

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