April 27, 2007—The results of a national survey announce this Earth Day show that individual Americans view US citizens and corporations as behind the rest of the world when it comes to taking action to protect the environment.
The survey, conducted by GfK Roper Consulting asked whether US individuals are ahead, behind or equal to people in other countries in terms of being “green.” Nearly half (43 percent) of Americans say their fellow citizens are lagging, 27 percent say they are ahead and 22 percent cite them as equal. Similarly, 38 percent indicate US corporations are behind their foreign counterparts, one-quarter (25 percent) think they’re ahead and 28 percent say they are equal with respect to environmentalism.
When asked in which month Earth Day is observed, 60 percent of US consumers said they didn’t know, 24 percent cited the wrong month and only 16 percent were able to correctly identify April. Additionally, an overwhelming 83 percent of Americans say they have no plans to mark Earth Day this year.
At the same time, the study reveals an acknowledgment of the benefit of Earth Day with 70 percent of consumers saying over the years it has had an impact on what Americans do to protect the environment. Slightly less, but still a majority (60 percent), say the annual celebration has influenced US corporations’ behavior over time.
For more on the survey, visit the GfK Roper Consulting Web site.
