Polling shows only a quarter of Conservative voters want shale gas in their area
Despite strong support for shale gas extraction from the Prime Minister, polling by Carbon Brief indicates shale gas infrastructure has a way to go to become popular with UK voters. Most, including Conservative voters, would much rather have a wind turbine in their backyard than a shale gas well.
The survey reveals that regardless of political affiliation, people’s support for fracking falls away at the prospect of shale gas companies turning up on their doorstep.
Shale awareness rising fast
2013 has been a breakthrough year for shale gas awareness, according to a survey of 2002 people by polling company Opinium for Carbon Brief. 61 per cent of respondents have heard of shale gas and say they know something about it. That’s a marked increase on July last year, when YouGov surveys put awareness at just 39-45 per cent.
More people like the sound of shale, too. Of those who expressed an opinion, 47 per cent said they support the production of shale gas in the UK, compared with 26 per cent who oppose it. Conservative voters are the most enthusiastic – 67 per cent said they were generally in favour, compared to 40 per cent of Labour and 39 per cent of Lib Dem voters.
But the poll also revealed a high level of uncertainty. 32 per cent said they didn’t know whether they supported UK shale gas production or not. Slightly more – 40 per cent – said they knew nothing about shale gas or had never heard of it.
Not in my backyard
Just as a swathe of pro-shale gas MPs and newspaper leader writers seemed to suddenly cool off at the prospect of fracking in the leafy home counties, most people are much less enthusiastic at the prospect of shale wells popping up near their homes.
The polling finds that support for all sources of energy drops as people are asked to consider having infrastructure built near to their home.
When asked which technologies people are happy to have within ten miles of their home, wind remains the most popular, with 52 per cent in favour of turbines nearby: that’s 45 per cent of Conservatives, 59 per cent of Labour voters and 64 per cent of Liberal Democrats.
Shale gas comes last: Just 18 per cent of respondents said they’d support a shale gas well within 10 miles of their house. Just 27 per cent of Conservative voters said they’d approve, compared with 16 per cent of Labour voters and 15 per cent of Lib Dems.
That’s a statistic that might present a challenge for the Prime Minister, David Cameron, who has refused to say whether or not he’d welcome fracking in his own constituency – despite calling on all areas of the country to back shale gas.
Source: Opinium 2013 (click image to enlarge)
Shale gas least popular power source
When asked to compare between energy sources the country might rely on, shale gas was the least popular option. Only 29 per cent said they were in favour – that’s 46 per cent of Conservative voters, 26 per cent of Labour voters and 23 per cent of Lib Dem supporters.
Wind power emerged as by far the most popular domestic energy source, with 65 per cent saying they were in favour of wind turbine construction in the UK. This figure agrees closely with other poll findings – the Department of Energy and Climate Change found 65 per cent of respondents support onshore wind in a poll this spring, indicating wind is consistently popular. 57 per cent of Conservative voters, 73 per cent of Labour supporters and 74 per cent of Lib Dems said they support wind.
40 per cent said they supported more nuclear power stations, 40 per cent were in favour of gas stations, 38 per cent approved of more coal mines, and 33 per cent supported coal power stations.
Image - Support :oppose (note)
Source: Opinium 2013 (click image to enlarge)
People are worried about the local environment
According to our results, people who oppose fracking do so principally due to concerns for their local environment, rather than national or policy concerns.
The idea that fracking causes earthquakes appears to have resonated strongly. 70 per cent of those who oppose shale gas cited this as a reason they are against the technology, despite reassurances that any tremors are likely to be minor. 61 per cent said they feared fracking would contaminate drinking water.
While there is overwhelming concern about local impacts, however, people also appeared worried about the UK’s plans to reduce its carbon emissions. 58 per cent of those who oppose shale gas exploration said the government should be investing in renewable energy instead – coming a close third.
People want shale gas for energy security, cost
Support for shale gas seems to stem from wider concerns about energy security.
65 per cent of those who support shale gas believe it could reduce our reliance on imported fuel. 62 per cent said it would ensure future energy needs are met. 61 per cent said it would provide cheaper energy.
In contrast, only 32 per cent said it would boost the economy and 29 per cent said it would create jobs. Only 12 per cent said they support fracking because they think it would cut UK carbon emissions.