Survey: Fewer Americans going green

American adults are now less likely than they were in the summer of 2009 to espouse certain “green” attitudes and engage in various environmentally-friendly activities.

American adults are now less likely than they were in the summer of 2009 to espouse certain “green” attitudes and engage in various environmentally-friendly activities.

These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,352 U.S. adults (ages 18 and over), surveyed online between November 8 and November 15, 2010 by Harris Interactive.

A comparison between the 2010 and 2009 surveys reveals that fewer Americans are now “going green.” Specifically, compared to 2009, adults in America are now less likely to engage in various green behaviors in their daily life, including:

Making an effort to use less water (60% 2009 vs. 57% 2010);
Purchasing locally grown produce (39% 2009 vs. 33% 2010);
Purchasing locally manufactured products (26% 2009 vs. 23% 2010);
Purchasing organic products (17% 2009 vs. 15% 2010); and,
Composting food and organic waste (17% 2009 vs. 15% 2010).

And, U.S. adults are also less likely to have adopted certain environmental activities in the past year, including:

Purchased Energy Star appliances (36% 2009 vs. 30% 2010);
Donated or recycled electronics (41% 2009 vs. 32% 2010);
Switched from bottled to tap water (29% 2009 vs. 23% 2010);
Installed a low-flow showerhead or toilet (25% 2009 vs. 20% 2010); and,
Purchased a hybrid or more fuel-efficient car (13% 2009 vs. 8% 2010).

Not only are fewer Americans behaving in environmentally-friendly ways, but many are now also less likely to embrace, or be influenced by, “green” attitudes โ€“ just over 1 in 3 U.S. adults (36%) say they are concerned about the planet they are leaving behind for future generations, compared to more than 2 in 5 adults (43%) who said so in 2009. And, only 28% of adults say environmental issues are very or extremely important to them when deciding how to vote for political candidates, compared to more than 1 in 3 adults (36%) who said this was important to them in 2009.

Despite the aforementioned declines in Americans’ attitudes and actions concerning environmental issues, U.S. adults are now more likely to describe themselves as conservationist (20% 2010 vs. 17% 2009), “green” (18% 2010 vs. 13% 2009), and environmentalist (16% 2010 vs. 13% 2009) than they were previously.

So What?

It is difficult to draw conclusions from these paradoxical results: on the one hand, only minorities of U.S. adults โ€“ even fewer now than in 2009 โ€“ think or act green. On the other hand, though still only a minority, more adults than before now label themselves in environmental terms. Only time will tell if Americans are just paying lip service to trendy buzz words like “green” and “environmentalist,” or if these are signs of a gradually expanding small but vocal “green movement.” One point to consider, though, is the economy: it’s possible that, in economic hard times, environmental enthusiasm wanes as people face tougher financial problems.

TABLE 1A

FREQUENCY OF VARIOUS GREEN BEHAVIORS

“How often do you do each of the following in your daily life?”

Base: All adults

Always/ Often (NET)
Always
Often
Sometimes
Rarely/ Never (NET)
Rarely
Never

%
%
%
%
%
%
%

Keep unneeded lights off or turn lights off when leaving a room
81
47
34
15
4
2
2

Recycle
68
43
25
19
13
7
6

Reuse things that I have instead of throwing them away or buying new items
63
23
40
25
11
7
4

Make an effort to use less water
57
24
34
27
16
10
6

Unplug electrical appliances when I am not using them
39
15
25
27
34
17
16

Purchase locally grown produce
33
6
27
44
23
15
9

Buy food in bulk
32
7
25
37
31
20
11

Purchase locally manufactured products
23
4
19
48
28
19
9

Purchase used items rather than new
24
4
20
39
37
23
14

Purchase all-natural products
16
2
14
42
41
27
14

Purchase organic products
15
2
13
36
49
28
21

Compost food and organic waste
15
7
8
15
70
16
54

Carpool or take public transportation
16
7
9
17
67
23
44

Walk or ride a bike instead of driving or using public transportation
15
3
11
22
64
23
41

Note: Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding.

TABLE 1B

FREQUENCY OF VARIOUS GREEN BEHAVIORS

“How often do you do each of the following in your daily life?”

Summary of those saying “Always” or “Often”

Base: All adults

2009

Total
2010

Total

%
%

Keep unneeded lights off or turn lights off when leaving a room
83
81

Recycle
68
68

Reuse things that I have instead of throwing them away or buying new items
65
63

Make an effort to use less water
60
57

Unplug electrical appliances when I am not using them
40
39

Purchase locally grown produce
39
33

Buy food in bulk
33
32

Purchase locally manufactured products
26
23

Purchase used items rather than new
25
24

Purchase all-natural products
18
16

Purchase organic products
17
15

Compost food and organic waste
17
15

Carpool or take public transportation
16
16

Walk or ride a bike instead of driving or using public transportation
15
15

Note: Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding.

TABLE 2

ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVITIES IN LAST YEAR

“Which of the following environmental activities, if any, have you done within the past year?”

Base: All adults

2009

Total
2010

Total

%
%

Energy-Efficient Lighting/Appliances (NET)
69
66

Replaced regular light bulbs with more energy-efficient lighting (e.g., CFLs, LEDs)
63
61

Purchased energy-efficient (e.g., Energy Star) appliances
36
30

Paperless Statements/Online Bill Pay (NET)
53
54

Started paying bills online for my personal financial accounts
46
44

Switched to paperless statements for my personal financial accounts
40
41

Donated or recycled a computer, cell phone or other electronic device or its parts
41
32

Switched from bottled water to filtered tap water
29
23

Low-Flow Showerhead/Toilet (NET)
25
20

Installed a low-flow showerhead
17
13

Installed a low-flow toilet
16
13

Patronized/Avoided a Business (NET)
15
15

Patronized a business because of their environmental activities
11
10

Avoided patronizing a business because of their environmental activities (or lack thereof)
9
10

Made home improvements that enabled me to take advantage of a “green” government tax credit (e.g., installed dual-pane windows, solar panels, insulation)
14
13

Hybrid/Fuel-Efficient Car (NET)
13
8

Purchased a more fuel-efficient car that is not a hybrid
11
7

Purchased a hybrid car
2
1

None
13
16

Note: Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding, the acceptance of multiple responses, and the exclusion of “other.”

TABLE 3A

ENVIRONMENTAL LABELS

“To what extent, if any, does each of the following statements describe you?”

Base: All adults

Very well/

Completely

(NET)
Completely
Very

well
Fairly

well
Somewhat

well/Does not

describe me

(NET)
Somewhat

well
Does not

describe me

at all

%
%
%
%
%
%
%

I am concerned about the planet we are leaving behind for future generations.
36
16
20
27
38
26
11

I personally care a great deal about the current state, and future, of the environment.
34
14
20
27
39
29
10

I am environmentally-conscious.
29
10
20
29
42
31
11

I feel a personal responsibility for taking care of the environment.
29
10
19
26
45
30
15

I encourage others to be more environmentally-friendly.
25
9
16
25
50
28
23

I am a conservationist.
20
7
13
26
54
30
24

I am “green”.
18
6
13
24
58
32
26

I am an environmentalist.
16
6
11
20
63
28
35

Note: Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding.

TABLE 3B

ENVIRONMENTAL LABELS

“To what extent, if any, does each of the following statements describe you?”

Summary of those saying “Very well” or “Completely”

Base: All adults

2009

Total
2010

Total

%
%

I am concerned about the planet we are leaving behind for future generations.
43
36

I personally care a great deal about the current state, and future, of the environment.
36
34

I am environmentally-conscious.
30
29

I feel a personal responsibility for taking care of the environment.
29
29

I encourage others to be more environmentally-friendly.
26
25

I am a conservationist.
17
20

I am “green”.
13
18

I am an environmentalist.
13
16

Note: Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding.

TABLE 4A

ENVIRONMENTAL DECISIONS

“How important are environmental issues to you when it comes to making decisions aboutโ€ฆ?”

Base: All adults

Extremely/

Very

Important

(NET)
Extremely

Important
Very

Important
Fairly

Important
Somewhat/

Not at all

Important

(NET)
Somewhat

Important
Not at all

important

%
%
%
%
%
%
%

How you vote for

political

candidates
28
11
17
23
49
27
23

Which products

or services

you purchase
27
7
20
26
48
30
18

What company

or business you

work for, or

apply for a job at
18
6
12
21
62
26
36

Note: Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding.

TABLE 4B

ENVIRONMENTAL DECISIONS

“How important are environmental issues to you when it comes to making decisions aboutโ€ฆ?”

Summary of those saying “Extremely important” or “Very important”

Base: All adults

2009

Total
2010

Total

%
%

How you vote for political candidates
36
28

Which products or services you purchase
26
27

What company or business you work for, or apply for a job at
17
18

Note: Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding.

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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