Did you know that the most common fears in America include public speaking, spiders and going green? Ok, we’re kidding about the third one. But taking steps to reduce your carbon footprint and be a little kinder to the earth can be intimidating. Where do you start? And does it really matter?
In a recent survey sponsored by Green Giant*, 97 percent of a representative sample of American moms ages 18-40 reported that they know that a few small measures can help improve the environment. But they also said that time and cost were barriers to going green. Seventy-nine percent of the moms polled said that they wish they had more time to focus on being green and helping the environment, while 55 percent cited cost as a barrier and 24 percent said that they were too busy to do more. Down the line, 21 percent said they weren’t sure what to do, 13 percent said caring for the environment was too difficult and just two percent said they were not seeing the benefits.
The good news is that, unlike being scared of heights or your aversion to snakes, the fear of going green can be easily overcome. Start with these 10 green tips that can make a giant difference. Many of them take no extra time or money at all (and will even save you some cash!):
- When you brush your teeth, turn off the faucet to save water.
- Stash your reusable shopping bag in your car so it’s ready to go for impromptu trips.
- Upgrade to a high-efficiency washing machine to save on the number of gallons of water per load.
- Clear the clutter out of your car to improve your fuel economy.
- Put your computer to sleep when you walk away to save energy and money.
- Light your home with LEDs – they use up to 90 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs.
- Make your lunch green with reusable bags, containers and silverware.
- Save water and energy by not pre-rinsing your dishes and only running a full dishwasher.
- Throwing pills down the toilet can pollute waterways and harm aquatic life. When you’re done with them, seal ‘em up and throw ‘em in the trash!
- Save paper by switching to e-billing. Most companies offer it, and in this digital age, why not go paper-free?
Despite the barriers they cited, moms showed that they are inspired to do more for the environment on behalf of their kids. Nearly all agree (51 percent strongly agree, 44 percent somewhat agree) that thinking about their children and future generations motivates them to go green. Ninety-three percent of moms encourage their kids to get involved in helping the planet, with measures such as recycling, conserving water, using energy-efficient light bulbs and cleaning with green cleaning products. In many homes, kids return the favor by teaching their moms how to be green.
In general, though, the survey found that moms are the “green giants” of their home. Seventy-two percent of them say they do the most to encourage their family to be green. Many of them wish there was a way to be recognized — and now there is.
A brand-new program called The Green Awards™ will honor people who are doing their part for a more sustainable world. Twelve finalists will split $120,000, with four grand prize winners taking home $25,000 each. Head to THEGreenAwards.com to enter before March 6.
*The survey was conducted by Ipsos on behalf of Green Giant between December 13 and December 22, 2010 via email invitation and an online survey. A nationally representative sample of 1,011 mothers ages 18-40 with a child under the age of 18 were interviewed. The margin of error at an unweighted probability sample of 1,000 and a 100% response rate would be +/- 3.1% for the entire sample.
Photo 1 by AdamKR via Flickr, photo 2 by Joe Shlabotnik via Flickr.
This post is sponsored by Green Giant.