Green Concerns: New Poll Shows Americans' Concerns for the Environment

Green Concerns: New Poll Shows Americans' Concerns for the Environment

Information provided by Global Market Insite, Inc.

Earth Day is almost here--and a recent GMIPoll demonstrates that Americans are concerned about the environment and that green practices are gaining in popularity.

Soaring energy prices, an increase in global warming, news about the rise in CO2 levels and pollution, and rapid deforestation may explain why 90 percent of Americans are somewhat and very concerned about the future of the environment, Global Market Insite, Inc. (GMI), a global market intelligence solutions provider, says. Its GMIPoll is a global survey of 9,000 online consumers in nine countries.

With Earth Day approaching, the good news is that more people in the United States and around the world are embracing alternative energy to reduce the strain on the environment and dependency on fossil fuel, as well as incorporating "green" habits into their daily routine, the report points out.

Environmental Concerns
Americans worry a "great deal" or "fair amount" about a number of environmental issues, including global warming, the loss of natural habitat for wildlife and the loss of tropical rain forests.

The GMIPoll finds that the most significant concerns are the following:

--Pollution of lakes, rivers and reservoirs (85 percent)
--Air pollution (82 pecent)
--Using up the country's natural resources (79 percent)
--Contamination of soil and water by toxic waste (78 percent)

As most of the United States' drinking water comes from lakes and reservoirs, it is not a surprise Americans have concerns about pollution. Nearly 56 percent of respondents are somewhat or very concerned about the possibility of running out of clean, drinkable water in their lifetime, according to the report.

"Although it's unlikely that most Americans will face a shortage of clean water, it's a serious problem for 20 percent of the world's population," said Hunter Lovins, a professor of sustainable management at Presidio School of Management (San Francisco) and president of Natural Capitalism, Inc., a nonprofit that consults with companies on profitable ways to protect the environment.

When asked the best ways to decrease dependency on foreign oil, 88 percent of respondents indicated that buying vehicles that use alternative fuels is somewhat or most effective, while 89 percent of Americans note that investing in alternative energy is somewhat or most effective. This is compared with other choices, such as using public transportation, which was embraced by 70 percent of respondents.

"It is encouraging that so many Americans favor clean energy, but I hope people will also embrace energy efficiency, a quicker and cheaper way to reduce the dependency on foreign oil," Lovins added. "They will join a growing number of companies who are reducing carbon emissions and saving money by using resources more efficiently."
In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that increasing energy efficiency throughout the economy could cut national energy use by 10 percent or more in 2010 and approximately 20 percent in 2020, with net economic benefits for consumers and businesses.

When asked about the economy and the environment, 49.4 percent of respondents slightly or strongly disagree that low prices and more jobs today are more important than protecting the environment for the future (vs. 15.9 percent who slightly agree and 5.5 percent who strongly agree).

Buying Green
According to the GMIPoll, Americans are willing to spend more money on "green" products. The poll shows that in the past 12 months, nearly half (49 percent) of respondents bought toilet paper or kitchen towels made from recycled paper a fair or great amount; while close to 70 percent use lower energy light bulbs a fair or great amount despite the higher cost (an average 60 watt light bulb costs $.42 vs. $2.99 for a low-energy one with the same wattage).

Additionally, respondents indicate that they incorporate other green practices in the home on a regular basis:

--62 percent recycle cardboard, glass or plastic containers
-- 67 percent purposely cut down on the amount of electricity/gas their household uses
-- 53 percent cut down on the use of water

Furthermore, a good percentage of Americans are investing in organic with close to 37 percent indicating that they bought organic food a fair or great amount in the past 12 months. Additionally, 40 percent of respondents indicate that they avoided buying products whose packaging, when disposed of, causes potential harm to wildlife.

The nine countries polled for this study were the United States, Australia, Canada, the UK, Germany, Brazil, France, China and Russia.

GMIPoll quickly and accurately gathers international opinions about topical issues and critical global events, with real-time results available in as little as 24 hours. GMIPoll is the only survey that polls global opinions in real time, online, and with statistically accurate results, according to GMI.

Global Market Insite, Inc. (GMI) is the only company that provides comprehensive integrated solutions for global market intelligence for both market research firms and corporate market research departments at Global 2000 companies. Founded in 1999, with world headquarters in Seattle, Wash., GMI has operations on five continents.

Published 04/21/2006