Daily Archives: April 11, 2012

Americans on Energy: New UT Study

Another poll shows increasing and strong interest among Americans in developing Green Technology and related technologies, as well as reduced interest in anti-environmental extremism and petrolatum-related efforts.

Previously, we discussed the new poll by the Science Debate people, and now we have new information from the UT Energy Poll.

The results are mixed, but interesting. In order of decreasing preference expressed by a voter to support a candidate for president based on their position, voters like expanded natural gas development1, incentives for renewable tech companies, increased energy research, requiring utilities to offer “renewable.” Those are all in the above 50% range.

Approval of a president who, in turn, would approve of the Keystone XL Pipeline sits at the 50% mark. Expanded Gulf drilling, oil exploration in the Arctic are below 50%. Loan guarantees for nuclear companies is at a dismal 28% and, happily, support for a theoretical presidential candidate who proposed to eliminate the EPA (remember Michele Bachmann?) is at 20% according to the poll.

The UT study is reported by Sheril Kirschenbaum, here.

Interestingly, 65% of poll respondents say global climate change is occurring and 22% that it is not. I believe that over the medium or short term, that is an increase in percentage of people who get that right, but it is still dismal.


1I think many people believe “Natural Gas” to be good, more or less uncritically. Probably has something to do with this.

Talking about creationism

We’ve had conversations before, here, about this topic, especially in the context of school. We’ve spoken about how to deal with students who are trying very hard to push creationism in the classroom, where you are the teacher. We’ve spoken about what a parent of a student in school might like to do. And now, here’s an item on what can go right and wrong when this or related topics come up at your place of work.

Earthquake Event, Tsunami Warning in Indonesia

An earthquake triggered a tsunami warning in Indonesia, which is said to have covered “Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Australia, Myanmar, Thailand, the Maldives and other Indian Ocean islands, Malaysia, Pakistan, Somalia, Oman, Iran, Bangladesh, Kenya, South Africa and Singapore,” but the wave that rolled ashore was insignificant. However, a subsequent, strong aftershock then triggered another warning, and I’ve seen no information about that yet.

These events seem to be about 8.6 magnitude, which is high. They were at sea along the western edge of the continental plate.

This is of course in the general vicinity of the famous “Sumatra-Andaman earthquake” (aka “Boxing Day earthquake and tsunami”) of 2004.

News here

Pacific Tsunami Warning Center