Conservation, not pipeline, gaining N.W.T. support: poll
Last Updated: Monday, September 24, 2007 | 5:43 PM CT
CBC News
Support among residents of the Northwest Territories is waning for the proposed Mackenzie Valley natural gas pipeline, while interest in conservation is rising, according to the results of a poll released Monday.
The poll, conducted by McAllister Opinion Research, says backing for the pipeline is at 68 per cent, which is down six per cent from its last poll in 2004.
Sixty-five per cent of people polled said they want conservation measures in place in the Mackenzie Valley before development begins.
That opinion seems to have extended beyond the 1,200-kilometre proposed pipeline: 90 per cent of respondents gave "high" priority to protecting lands, water and natural ecosystems before development, and 81 per cent said they support the creation of more protected areas where industrial development activities are prohibited.
Pollster Angus McAllister told CBC News that respondents showed strong support for specific projects, such as the expansion of Nahanni National Park Reserve and the creation of a national wetland near Fort Good Hope.
As well, he said they expressed concern about global warming and water pollution.
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"When you call people and actually interrupt them during dinner and without telling them what the topic of the poll is, just ask them what their top concern is, their number one concern is the environment," McAllister said.
"In 2004, the biggest concern was alcohol and drug abuse — social issues, basically. And [the] environment has now surpassed that."
McAllister conducted the poll for the international environment program of the Pew Charitable Trusts, based in Philadelphia.
It was based on telephone interviews with 437 randomly selected adults in the Northwest Territories. The interviews were conducted from Sept. 6 to Sept. 12. The results are accurate within 4.7 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2007/09/24/nwt-survey.html?ref=rss
