(Québec). Nearly one in two Canadians reject Energy-East pipeline according to a survey to be released today by Climate Action Network. The Oracle Research survey of 3040 Canadians conducted for Climate Action Network of Canada confirms that Quebecers oppose the proposed TransCanada pipeline. It also shows that women are much more sensitive to environmental protection than men.
No to Energy East
Nearly one in every two Canadians (46.7%) opposes the construction of the Energy-East Pipeline, according to Oracle Research findings. The proposed 12 million dollar project is supported only by 35.7% of respondents.
The proportion of those opposed is at 51% in Quebec, 59.5% in Manitoba and at 56.5% in British Columbia. The TransCanada initiative is supported in Alberta (53.7%) and in Saskatchewan (61.2%) two provinces which produce oil. “When given the choice between the fight against climate change and the Energy-East project, Canadians have spoken in large majority”, stated Steven Guilbault, spokesperson for Equiterre.
Women are more green
The results contain a surprise for Steven Guilbault: many more women than men oppose the Energy-East project. Three-quarters (75%) of respondents consider protection of the climate more important than the construction of the pipeline. Only 52% of men share this view. Mr. Guilbault wasn’t able to explain this difference. “We will need to explain these results. It seems that women have a stronger appetite than men for these issues.”
The Conservative party is also green.
Stephen Harper has been criticized by ecologists for pulling Canada out of the Kyoto protocol and refusing to regulate greenhouse emission from the oil industry but there are green fibers within his Conservative Party.
Half of the supporters, (53.7%), feel that Canada should be the world leader for climate protection and 39.4% believe that climate protection is more important than pipeline construction and oil-sands development. In contrast, only 19% of Conservative voters believe in imposing a ceiling on carbon pollution.
A message to politicians
The federal election is coming in six months and these results send a strong message to political parties remarks Steven Guilbault. “Regardless of which political party represents Canada, it will be difficult for anyone to ignore what 65%-75% of the constituents think. It is effectively a warning to politicians.” According to the study, 70% of respondents believe that Canada should be a world leader in climate protection and 60% want a commitment to cap or limit carbon emissions.
Methodology: Oracle Research survey, based on a telephone survey of 3040 people across Canada, was conducted in March 2015. The margin of error is 1.75 %, 19 times out of 20.
(Written by Martin Croteau - published by La Presse)
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