Although most of us recycle these days and almost three-quarters of us pay our bills online, almost half of Americans have done nothing else to green their lives, according to a new Harris Poll on green living.
In spite of all the information out there about green living, many people (34 percent) told the pollsters that they don’t know don’t know how to go green, and many others don’t believe their greening their lifestyle will make any significant difference on the environment.
Others might not want to change their lifestyles in any major way. For instance, only five percent of survey respondents said they are driving less by combining errands, walking more, etc. and just four percent have reduced their utility use.
Others may not want or be able to spend money to go green (only three percent have replaced incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent ones and the same number has purchased hybrid cars).
The irony, of course, is that some extra upfront costs can save money down the road. And small actions can make a huge difference. The US Environmental Protection Agency says that if every American household replaced just one incandescent light bulb with a CFL, the United States would save enough energy to light more than three million homes for an entire year.
Other poll results:
- 49 percent are trying to buy locally-produced food and/or goods.
- 47 percent are buying green household products.
- 39 percent are bringing their own reusable bags to stores instead of using paper or plastic.
- 16 percent are carpooling.
In contrast to the Harris Poll, Natural Life Magazine’s latest survey of our readers found that 90 percent are purchasing green products like CFLs, and 91 percent regularly compost and recycle. Here are more Natural Life results.