ENViRONMENT: More Americans feel guilty for not living greener

Features

Related Photos

May 8, 2008

Anonymous The Niagara Gazette Thu May 08, 2008, 04:56 PM EDT

You really have been meaning to swap out your light bulbs for those energy-efficient ones. And you really and truly did not mean to leave your computer on all vacation.

You did, in fact, hear all those Earth Day messages. And yes, you know you’re not doing enough.

You know it and you feel guilty.

Hey - join the crowd.

In fact, more people (primarily women) are feeling guiltier this year than they were last about their not-so-carbon-neutral habits.

So says the second annual green guilt survey commissioned by the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation, a non-profit that wants you to recycle batteries.

In 2007, about 20 percent of Americans surveyed said they were feeling green guilt. This year, that number jumped slightly to 22 percent. Men actually felt less guilty this year (18 percent last year vs. 17 percent this year), and women were carrying the burden of guilt more (22 percent vs. 26 percent).

But guilt aside, more Americans said they’re stepping up their actions to make their lives more environmentally friendly, the survey shows. For instance, more people this year said they recycled cellphones and batteries: 41 percent said they recycled phones and 37 percent recycled rechargeable batteries, vs. 31 percent and 29 percent last year. And a large majority - 89 percent - said they recycled something. Last year, the number was 87 percent.

The survey was based on phone interviews with 525 women and 481 men. The margin of error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.

The primary motivation for people to be a little greener? Children. Seventeen percent said they’d do more if they had a child, the survey shows. In 2008, 47 percent of those with children under 6 recycled cellphones. Overall in 2008, the number was 41 percent. But 30 percent still couldn’t bring themselves to switch to cloth diapers.

This year’s survey “is encouraging because it revealed that people understand their actions have a long-term impact,” says Greg Broe, acting chief operating officer for RBRC. “They’re suffering this green guilt and want to do more.”

But guilt can be a double-edged sword, says Chip Giller, president and founder of Grist.org, an environmental website written with a humorous twist. “Green guilt certainly works for some people, but I have a concern that guilt ultimately is going to turn off more people than anything else,” Giller says.

Plus, he says, green “consumerism and frankly battery recycling are only going to get us so far. ”

Instead, like many environmentalists, he says that to get big change, the United States needs to change big policies, including legislation aimed at major polluters.

So how guilty should you feel for choosing plastic over paper or keeping your baby’s bottom wrapped in Pampers?

“What I like to say is focus on the big stuff and don’t sweat the small stuff,” Giller says.

Though it’s true one person may not save the glaciers from melting with one diaper, Paige Rodgers, a Marin, Calif., mother who co-founded a business making cloth napkins for kids - instead of wasteful paper - says every little thing really does help.

“I hear that echoed - this idea of feeing good about making small changes. Because it’s something. We’re doing something.”

Text Only | Photo Reprints

Features

PROFILE: Jonathan's Magdalene
An artist's rendering of the companion of Jesus comes forth, he says, from a higher power

February 6, 2012 3 Photos
FORGIONE: Fitness successes inspire lots of 'D' words
There are a lot of "D" words associated with working out at a gym and getting healthier. Determination is a big one. There's also gems such as dream, dedication, develop, duty and desire. And of course, ones that elicit fear like deadlifs and dumbells.

February 6, 2012 1 Photo
DELUCA: The Leadership Chronicles
Leadership Niagara 'newbie' has surprising change of heart

February 6, 2012 1 Photo
RIVERKEEPERS: Tending the waterways
Environmental group seeks the help of Niagara volunteers

February 6, 2012 2 Photos
SCIENCE MUSEUM: Special Valentine-themed event coincides with CSI exhibit.
BUFFALO — For the romantically inclined, Valentine’s Day might conjure images of red roses, heart-shaped boxes of candy and candle-lit dinners. For those at the Buffalo Museum of Science, however, they’re hoping some blood, guts and a little bit of disaster might set the mood for some couples.
OK, so maybe not that much blood and guts — it’s a family-friendly environment after all.

February 6, 2012 2 Photos
NATURAL HEALTH: Is HPV worse than vaccine?
For many young girls, and now boys, the American Medical Association and other medical organizations are recommending vaccination with the Gardisil (or similar) vaccine.
Gardasil is a vaccine that supposedly helps prevent 4 types of HPV (human papillomavirus), 2 of which have been linked to cervical cancer and 2 types that are associated with genital warts.
What most people do not know is that there are more than 100 various strains of HPV.

February 6, 2012 1 Photo
IRON CHEFS: Cooking competition will help fight ALS
Daniel Tracy's second annual Iron Event gathers top chefs from region

February 6, 2012 1 Photo
NIAGARA BUSINESS: Developing young minds
Two area dayscares have opened in the region, offering advantages for children

February 6, 2012 4 Photos
TIM CHIPP: Figuring out the changes on Facebook
The website that is almost solely responsible for a complete change in social behavior since its wide release in 2006 is about to completely redefine the Internet again for 2012.

January 23, 2012 1 Photo
DIRT FREE GARDENING: Owners of a new hydroponic store say it's not what you'd expect
Say the word “hydroponics” and images of incense, peace signs and tie-dye might come to mind, but for Justin and Claire Holler, the husband/wife owners of Big Bloom Hydroponics, it’s more about science, healthy eating and year-round gardening.

January 23, 2012 6 Photos
More Features Headlines

Features

Search Results

Related Photos

ENViRONMENT: More Americans feel guilty for not living greener

Site Map

Contact Us