A very recent Nanos poll, conducted October 18th to 21st, 2014, indicates that protecting the environment is more important to Canadians than the price of energy and that Canadians would prefer that the burden of any new carbon tax be placed on those businesses that emit GHGs. Among the findings:

• 94% of Canadians reported that they are familiar or somewhat familiar with the discussion concerning climate change and the use of fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal as an energy source?
• 62% reported that protecting the environment is more important than the price of energy to them personally.
• 62% reported that they had heard of reducing CO2 emissions from coal plants by capturing CO2 and storing it underground.
• 38% reported that they had a positive or somewhat positive impression of storing carbon emissions from coal electricity plants underground to reduce green house gases; 44% had a somewhat negative or negative impression, while 18% were unsure.
• 76% stated that if the carbon capture and storage process reduced green house gases and was considered environmentally responsible, they would support or somewhat support governments encouraging these types of projects.
• 53% agreed that the government should put a new tax on businesses based on the volume of green house gases they
  emit, the proceeds of which would be used to fund projects which help reduce Canada’s green house gas emissions. 29% supported that there be no new taxes on fossil fuels such as gasoline, natural gas and heating oil or on businesses that emit green house gases. 11% supported a new five percent tax on energy items such as electricity and gasoline, natural gas and heating oil, the proceeds of which would be used to fund projects which help reduce Canada’s green house gas emissions.

The margin of error for a random survey of 1,000 Canadians is ±3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

The 18 page poll report, including much more regional analysis and more data, is available at http://www.nanosresearch.com/library/polls/POLNAT-S14-T624.pdf