Tackle climate change and boost economy
New consumer research found that most Americans say tackling climate change will boost the economy, and, despite the crisis on Wall Street, they are more committed than ever to taking action, even those who feel financially worse off. Climate change is also seen as a more pressing issue than it was last year.
Consumers also expressed a strong preference for specific measures that help them save energy and save money, such as permanent price reductions on energy efficient light bulbs, discounts on insulation and help in finding simple ways to reduce energy use such as washing clothes in cold water.
Results of the survey show that people are prepared to make changes to their lifestyles and spend extra time to fight climate change. People also believe that tackling climate change will not cost them money, and many realize they can save money by combating climate change.
Some highlights of the survey include:
– 63% of Americans said they believe tackling climate change will benefit the economy
– 52% said tackling climate change will not personally cost them money
– Most prefer (as they always did) to contribute by changing their behaviour and spending extra time rather than spending extra money
– Those feeling financially worse off than last year are scarcely less committed than those feeling better off: 41% of people who said they believe themselves to be financially worse off also said “I am focusing on making changes to my life to combat climate change,” only three percentage points below those who did not feel financially worse off
– The percentage of people who selected 6 or 7 on a scale of 1 to 7 for level of agreement to the statement “Climate change and how we respond to it are among the biggest issues I worry about today” was just 18% in 2007, but climbed dramatically to 24% in 2008
[tags] Climate change, Energy efficient light bulbs, Reduce energy use [tags/]