The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico seems to have changed the minds of many Americans. According to a recent Gallup/USA Today poll, Americans’ inclination to prioritize between energy products and environmental protection has shifted from moderately pro-energy to even more pro-environmental. It seems that this disaster has put the protection of the environment at the forefront of the public and the media.

In late May, a survey was conducted to gauge public sentiment on the choice between developing US energy supplies and protecting the environment. The study showed that 50% of Americans were inclined to develop American energy sources, while 43% chose to focus on protecting our environment. This contrasts with public sentiment just a few years ago. In 2007, 58% of people preferred to protect the environment compared to 34% of people who wanted to develop energy in our countries.

However, this gap was reduced in 2008 to 50% for pro-environment and 41% for pro-energy. The gap was fully eliminated when sentiment was nearly identical (47% to 46%) in 2009 and jumped to a pro-energy bias earlier this year. The spill has changed all this, causing pro-environment sentiment to jump to 55% and pro-energy sentiment to drop to 39%, almost reaching levels found in the 2007 poll, making it in the second largest percentage in favor of the environment in the decade of the existence of the questions.

Democrats have held this position since late March, so the force has grown on this position since the crash. The views of independents have completely changed along with public sentiment, while the views of Republicans have not. Republicans continue to prioritize energy production over protecting our environment. These shifts in sentiment have been greatest among Democrats and independents, but have at least shown a shred of movement among Republicans as well.

In the end, it’s safe to say that the spill has significantly changed Americans’ environmental attitudes. These attitudes are likely shifting toward pro-energy in recent years due to the economy, as our country has given higher priority to concerns that directly correlate to its wallet. However, in the last couple of months all this has changed, and the pro setting position has picked up steam and recaptured the reign it had displayed for the better part of our last decade.