Poll: Canadians Splilt on Conserving and Developing Arctic

[The Bread Guy]

Canada And The Arctic: True North Strong And Ours?
Ipsos-Reid, 18 Aug 08
News release link - Detailed tables (.pdf)

A new Ipsos Reid poll conducted exclusively on behalf of CanWest News Service and Global Television has found that Canadians are split on whether the Canadian North should be left relatively untouched or whether we should push ahead with exploration and development.

Six in ten (57%) Canadians are closer to the opinion that ‘the arctic ecosystem is too fragile for the extraction of natural resources that threatens to destroy the sustainability of the ecosystem so we should leave it relatively untouched’. On the other hand, four in ten (40%) Canadians believe that ‘the potential of uncovering vast reserves of natural resources is too great to pass up for Canada, and that the ecosystem can be protected through careful regulation and supervision, so we should push ahead’. Only 3% don’t know with which sentiment they more closely identify.

Thinking about arctic sovereignty as a matter of public policy for the government to deal with, only three in ten (28%) believe that enforcing arctic sovereignty should be a ‘major priority’ for the government. This places it well behind healthcare (86%), poverty (71%), the economy (69%), gas prices (67%), crime (66%), climate change (63%), and Afghanistan (46%) as major priorities for the government to tackle. In fact, a majority (51%) believes that arctic sovereignty should be a ‘minor priority’ for the government, while 15% believe that it is ‘really not a priority’. Seven percent (7%) do not know how much of a priority enforcing sovereignty in the arctic should be.

Focusing on what the Canadian government should be doing in the arctic going forward, four in ten (39%) believe the government should ‘invest serious resources in asserting Canada’s sovereignty in the North, such as by building new Coast Guard icebreakers, buying new surveillance equipment and expanding the number of troops stationed there’.

Adopting a more multi-lateral policy, one in three (32%) Canadians think that the government should ‘try to work out an arrangement with the other nations to see if there is a way to accommodate everyone, even if it means Canada giving up some of its own sovereignty in the North’.

One quarter (26%) of Canadians would have the government adopt a more passive stance still, agreeing that the government should ‘really concentrate on other more pressing issues because we only have limited resources to deal with this, and now is not the time’. Three percent (3%) don’t know what the government should do going forward.

Reflecting on what the Harper government is doing to enforce arctic sovereignty, four in ten (42%) believe that the government should be doing ‘more’ than it is currently doing, while a similar proportion (43%) believes that they should continue doing ‘about as much as its currently doing’. Just 12% believe the government should be doing ‘less’ to enforce Canadians sovereignty in the Canadian North.

These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of CanWest News Service and Global Television from July 29 to July 31, 2008. For the survey, a representative randomly selected sample of 1001 adult Canadians was interviewed by telephone. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within ±3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult population of Canada been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were weighted to ensure that the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to Census data.

More on link

 

[Harley Sailor]

Unreal... Don't people remember why we do not own the Alaskin Panhandle.  That was part of Canada but the US wanted it and when it went to a vote Great Britian vote against us because no one cared enough to keep it as part of Canada.  It could have still been part of the BC coast line.  Now the same thing is going to happen to the Great White North. 57% think we should protect the Artic but less then 30% think it is worth fighting for.  Do they not realize  that if the US gets their hands on it they will suck the life out of it.

 

[Bearpaw]

Don't take these polls too seriously----the sample size has to be a lot larger in order to reduce the margin of error.  This poll taking is just a stupid business that tries to perpetuate itself to stay in business by generating controversy and concern.

Statistics is a useful data analysis tool when there is lots of data(physics, chemistry, astronomy,...). For public opinion polling, it is very hard to design statistical experiments (about opinions) that are unbiased and yield "factual" information of any lasting value---the polling agencie tries to cut its costs by reducing the sample size to the minimum.

Bearpaw

 

[Snafu-Bar]

It's the last chunk of land left semi-unmolested at this point.(Giant Mine)  There is no "need" to go up there and plunder the resources that are there. However there is a great demand to get the ball rolling on the defensive stand in that region and make sure that no one tries to surplant us on our own ground.

Saying that, there is also no reason the nations in "contact" with the polar region can't viably split it and share the wealth without the need for conflict. There are global gridlines that can be used to divvy up pole properly and effectivly. Greed notwithstanding of course.  ;D


Cheers

 

[Harley Sailor]

It's the last chunk of land left semi-unmolested at this point.(Giant Mine)  There is no "need" to go up there and plunder the resources that are there. However there is a great demand to get the ball rolling on the defensive stand in that region and make sure that no one tries to surplant us on our own ground.

Saying that, there is also no reason the nations in "contact" with the polar region can't viably split it and share the wealth without the need for conflict. There are global gridlines that can be used to divvy up pole properly and effectivly. Greed notwithstanding of course.  ;D

Cheers

Why should we share what has always been consider as ours.  That would be giving away our natural resources.  Or in other words sharing your hard earned paycheck just to be neighbourly.

 

[cameron]

The low percentages of Canadians, as indicated by this poll, who regard arctic sovereignty as a matter of priority is sadly another example of the apathetic attitudes too many Canadians have towards their own security.  What will it take for Canadians to wake up, Russia landing troops on Canadian territory and planting the Russian flag?

 

[Snafu-Bar]

Well if it's considered already to be "Canadian territory" then i'm sure the Russians and Americans and probably a few others would be more than happy to put up a dispute over it, and we already know how THAT will pan out.   :skull:


Cheers

 

[cameron]

Well if it's considered already to be "Canadian territory" then i'm sure the Russians and Americans and probably a few others would be more than happy to put up a dispute over it, and we already know how THAT will pan out.   :skull:

Yup, which is why Canadians need to take their territorial sovereignty more seriously.

Cheers

 

[aesop081]

  then i'm sure the Russians and Americans and probably a few others would be more than happy to put up a dispute over it, and we already know how THAT will pan out.   :skull:

There is already a dispute over all this, try to keep up.

 

[Snafu-Bar]

Time will tell, i'm sure it's being closely looked at in terms of the Russian threat and the US's need for greed errmmm i meant need for resources.  ;D

Cheers

 

[aesop081]

Time will tell,

That time has already gone by. Several contries openly dispute our claims over the Arctic and doing something about it. Your "time will tell" ship has already sailed and Canada is scrambling.

 

[Snafu-Bar]

Then we are in an uphill battle we probably didn't have any chance in to begin with. Our only chance now(short term) is that the US repects our territorial land boundaries and agree's to help stem the tide. If the Russians are as antse as they appear to be, then we could be in for a rude awkening at any moment. Although we do have a rather amicable releationship with the russians it wouldn't be a stretch to have them jump ship and start planting flags at any moment just for the sake of intimidation.

Our military and political resources aren't capable to fend off the world by any means. Short of throwing a ton of money into a complete national defence plan that is not only realistic but feasable in regards to the oppostion contesting the area. That means forgoeing the US's help and attempting to make our military stand upto the likes of the russians on our own terms. That is only going to happen if the current government is actually awake and paying attention to the situation and the impending implications of taking action or not.

Cheers.

P.s On topic i vote for conservation  ;D

 

[aesop081]

  Our only chance now(short term) is that the US repects our territorial land boundaries and agree's to help stem the tide.

Ok...maybe you are just having a slow day, so i will spell it out for you.

The United States of America is one of the countries disputing our claims to the Arctic and widely beleived to be violating it regularly.