Majority of Canadians oppose drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

The poll surveyed 1,020 Canadians between July 6 and July 12, 2005 and revealed that 54% of Canadians are opposed to the Bush administration’s push to open up the ANWR to drilling. Just 12% are in support. Opposition is even stronger amongst Canadians who have been following the issue. For those who report high familiarity with the issue, 73% are opposed. The results are are accurate to within +/- 3.1 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.

“The results are clear,” says Shawn Mitchell, WWF-Canada’s Vice President, Communications. “Canadians feel strongly about protecting pristine habitat, they do not appear to believe the often made claim that drilling in the middle of a calving ground for caribou will not disrupt wildlife, and they obviously want their government to make their view known to President George W. Bush.”

WWF-Canada has tapped into this public sentiment by launching a new advertising campaign calling on Canadians to help stop plans for drilling in the ANWR, and giving an opportunity for people to express their concerns to government at www.donotdrill.ca.

The coastal plain of the ANWR is home to the calving area for the Porcupine caribou herd, which lives most of the year in the Yukon and the Northwest Territories. This sensitive area, and the 180,000 strong caribou herd, could be destroyed if drilling takes place there. In September, the White House will ask Congress to vote on the Budget Reconciliation Act, in which permission for drilling in the ANWR is buried.

WWF-Canada has developed a satirical ad campaign consisting of television, radio and print ads designed to call Canadians to action on this urgent cross-border issue, and encourage them to go to www.donotdrill.ca where they can sign a petition to Prime Minister Martin imploring him to make the voice of Canadians heard by the American government.

“In less than two weeks we have collected over 10,000 petitions, and while more than 90% of the signatures are from Canadians, 10% are from people from other parts of the globe who have chosen to speak out,” adds Mitchell. “This issue resonates with people who are worried that governments are not making sustainable choices about natural resources and the environment. It is not too late to influence the outcome of the September vote.”