Though crude oil continues to be the nation's single biggest import, energy exports have risen sharply. Exports of some metals and agricultural products also have grown rapidly.
The 2010 spill was one of the two biggest stories of the year in terms of news interest. Support for offshore drilling plummeted, but has largely recovered.
Generally, higher-income adults and college degree earners are more likely than others to favor greater availability, and African-Americans are significantly less supportive of the idea.
Two-thirds of Hispanics say the Earth is warming mostly because of human activity like burning fossil fuels, while about half of blacks and 41% of whites say the same.
Different demographic groups think differently about scientific issues. For example, those more likely to think genetically modified food is unsafe include women, African-Americans and Hispanics, and those without college degrees. Those more likely to say parents should be able to decide whether to vaccinate their children include younger adults, Republicans and independents.
Survey Report An 83% majority of the public says vaccines for diseases such as measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) are safe for healthy children, while about one-in-ten (9%) think such vaccines are not safe. An additional 7% volunteer that they don’t know. Majorities across virtually every demographic and partisan group view the vaccines as safe. […]
NASA continues to be very popular among the public, with four times as many Americans holding a favorable view of the space agency as unfavorable (68% vs. 17%).
A majority of Americans think children should be required to get vaccinated. Young adults more likely to say vaccinating kids should be a parental choice.
Despite broadly similar views about the overall place of science in America, there are striking differences between the public and scientists’ views on a host of science-related issues.
President Obama and the GOP-controlled Congress have sharp differences on environmental and energy issues. Here's a look at where public opinion stands.
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About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts.
