Comments on: New Study: 87% of Americans “seriously concerned about the environment” http://www.21st-century-citizen.com/2007/08/22/new-study-america-turning-point-gfk-custom-research/ Exploring the New Values of the 21st Century Citizen Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:35:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: milander http://www.21st-century-citizen.com/2007/08/22/new-study-america-turning-point-gfk-custom-research/#comment-613 milander Sun, 26 Aug 2007 17:44:30 +0000 http://www.21st-century-citizen.com/2007/08/22/new-study-america-turning-point-gfk-custom-research/#comment-613 Just an aside, I've noticed that a great play is made of recycling tech for materials, while this is great and a step forward is is also a sign of shortsightedness. By that I mean the great thing to do would be to reduce the amount of packaging first and then worry about the recycling... a lot of emergent 'green' thinking and technologies seem to be putting the cart before the horse. examples : Reuse your plastic shopping bags or better yet by a cloth one from a green shop and use it. Put a brick in your toilet flush tank to reduce the water in a flush. brush your teeth froma glass don't run the tap. Buy quality which lasts not a quick fixer. Grow your own veg and fruit. INSULATE pipes, tanks, walls and get double glazing. Buy cotton and wollen clothes not plastic clothes, they last longer and feel better. I could go on, there are so many simple things people can do to effect immediate change, often without any extra cost to themselves... my fav is turning off your PC after work or home use. Americans leaving their PCs on after work comsumes the energy of 12 coal fired power sations in the USA. Fact. Just an aside, I’ve noticed that a great play is made of recycling tech for materials, while this is great and a step forward is is also a sign of shortsightedness. By that I mean the great thing to do would be to reduce the amount of packaging first and then worry about the recycling… a lot of emergent ‘green’ thinking and technologies seem to be putting the cart before the horse.

examples : Reuse your plastic shopping bags or better yet by a cloth one from a green shop and use it. Put a brick in your toilet flush tank to reduce the water in a flush. brush your teeth froma glass don’t run the tap. Buy quality which lasts not a quick fixer. Grow your own veg and fruit. INSULATE pipes, tanks, walls and get double glazing. Buy cotton and wollen clothes not plastic clothes, they last longer and feel better. I could go on, there are so many simple things people can do to effect immediate change, often without any extra cost to themselves… my fav is turning off your PC after work or home use. Americans leaving their PCs on after work comsumes the energy of 12 coal fired power sations in the USA. Fact.

]]> By: nasirarab http://www.21st-century-citizen.com/2007/08/22/new-study-america-turning-point-gfk-custom-research/#comment-612 nasirarab Sun, 26 Aug 2007 17:03:39 +0000 http://www.21st-century-citizen.com/2007/08/22/new-study-america-turning-point-gfk-custom-research/#comment-612 no no

]]> By: How Social Media Sites Expand Reader Comments on our Site http://www.21st-century-citizen.com/2007/08/22/new-study-america-turning-point-gfk-custom-research/#comment-592 How Social Media Sites Expand Reader Comments on our Site Fri, 24 Aug 2007 16:07:32 +0000 http://www.21st-century-citizen.com/2007/08/22/new-study-america-turning-point-gfk-custom-research/#comment-592 [...] 21st Century Citizen Exploring the New Values of the 21st Century Citizen « New Study: 87% of Americans “seriously concerned about the environment” [...] […] 21st Century Citizen Exploring the New Values of the 21st Century Citizen « New Study: 87% of Americans “seriously concerned about the environment” […]

]]> By: jhimm http://www.21st-century-citizen.com/2007/08/22/new-study-america-turning-point-gfk-custom-research/#comment-591 jhimm Fri, 24 Aug 2007 15:06:27 +0000 http://www.21st-century-citizen.com/2007/08/22/new-study-america-turning-point-gfk-custom-research/#comment-591 what concerns me about getting optimistic about these kinds of statistics is this: ok, great, 87% of americans are concerned about the environment. BUT, of that 87% a significant percentage are going to be liberal/progressive and will expect the government to take a leading role in -fixing- the environment and so may not do as much on their own as they should, focusing instead of their "activism" by voting Green (or DNC). another significant percentage are going to be lazy americans and while they are "seriously concerned" they aren't actually going to get off their fat asses and -do- anything to -fix- the environmental issues we face. we just moved into a fairly new condo building in Chicago we're renting, and our landlord like to make a big deal out of all the "green" features in the unit. the on-demand hot water system (which still runs out of hot water in spite of not having a tank) the low flow toilets (which you get stuck flushing more than once) etc. but none of the lamps had CFL or LED bulbs when we moved in. we have no sense of how efficient the climate control is. there's no recycling facilities behind the building so we have to cart our stuff in our car the 20 blocks to the dump and then self-sort it all into the appropriate piles (only a matter of time before we catch something doing this). there's no hope the building has a green roof and Chicago leads the nation in metropolitan green roofing. just plain lazy! concern is great, government help is great (maybe?), but in the end, we need people who -do- stuff, not just people who talk about concerns. what concerns me about getting optimistic
about these kinds of statistics is this:
ok,
great,
87% of americans are concerned about the environment.
BUT,
of that 87%

a significant percentage are going to be liberal/progressive
and will expect the government to take a leading role
in -fixing- the environment
and so may not do as much on their own as they should,
focusing instead of their “activism” by voting Green (or DNC).

another significant percentage are going to be lazy americans
and while they are “seriously concerned”
they aren’t actually going to get off their fat asses
and -do- anything to -fix- the environmental issues we face.

we just moved into a fairly new condo building in Chicago
we’re renting, and our landlord like to make a big deal
out of all the “green” features in the unit.
the on-demand hot water system
(which still runs out of hot water in spite of not having a tank)
the low flow toilets (which you get stuck flushing more than once)
etc.
but none of the lamps had CFL or LED bulbs when we moved in.
we have no sense of how efficient the climate control is.
there’s no recycling facilities behind the building
so we have to cart our stuff in our car the 20 blocks to the dump
and then self-sort it all into the appropriate piles
(only a matter of time before we catch something doing this).
there’s no hope the building has a green roof
and Chicago leads the nation in metropolitan green roofing.

just plain lazy!

concern is great,
government help is great (maybe?),
but in the end,
we need people who -do- stuff,
not just people who talk about concerns.

]]> By: Links on Parade: Plastic bags in Africa, more Mountaintop Removal, 87% of Americans are "seriously concerned" about the environment, and yeah- global warming is still on « Blog Archive « Planetsave | Free Email and Green News http://www.21st-century-citizen.com/2007/08/22/new-study-america-turning-point-gfk-custom-research/#comment-581 Links on Parade: Plastic bags in Africa, more Mountaintop Removal, 87% of Americans are "seriously concerned" about the environment, and yeah- global warming is still on « Blog Archive « Planetsave | Free Email and Green News Thu, 23 Aug 2007 16:57:46 +0000 http://www.21st-century-citizen.com/2007/08/22/new-study-america-turning-point-gfk-custom-research/#comment-581 [...] • New Study: 87% of Americans “seriously concerned about the environment” [...] […] • New Study: 87% of Americans “seriously concerned about the environment” […]

]]> By: Jeremy http://www.21st-century-citizen.com/2007/08/22/new-study-america-turning-point-gfk-custom-research/#comment-576 Jeremy Thu, 23 Aug 2007 12:25:00 +0000 http://www.21st-century-citizen.com/2007/08/22/new-study-america-turning-point-gfk-custom-research/#comment-576 I agree, education is the hardest part, and the part od the equation that is lacking the most. I feel that most people want to live a more ecologically responsible life, but they dont know where to start. They know that they can recycle, but most dont know that there are rules (most of which make recycling harder to form habits around). I bet a good 95% of the information that people are hearing is trying to just prove the fact that the environment is being depleted. Great quote at the end: <blockquote>America in many ways is a sleeping giant. Once awoken, it can work miracles. Let’s hope this study is an indication that that’s what’s happening now.</blockquote> I agree, education is the hardest part, and the part od the equation that is lacking the most. I feel that most people want to live a more ecologically responsible life, but they dont know where to start. They know that they can recycle, but most dont know that there are rules (most of which make recycling harder to form habits around).
I bet a good 95% of the information that people are hearing is trying to just prove the fact that the environment is being depleted.

Great quote at the end:

America in many ways is a sleeping giant. Once awoken, it can work miracles. Let’s hope this study is an indication that that’s what’s happening now.

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