American woman are making the critical decisions on energy and they are concerned about climate change, according to an Women’s Survey on Energy & the Environment, the first in-depth women’s survey on attitudes and awareness about energy in the USA.
The survey of 801 women, 18 years or older, commissioned by Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) in collaboration with the Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment (WCEE), found that women want the country to move toward clean energy sources, and 57% are even willing to pay an additional $30 more per month for cleaner energy.
The survey also found that the women did not “…completely understand the electricity sources we use today, the impact of electricity on clean air and what is causing global warming”.
Increasingly, alternative energy groups and environmentalists are working to raise awareness about the sources of America’s energy, including the negative ramifications of coal use and the over-reliance on foreign oil.
“Women have a huge stake in our nation’s energy future and can play a vital role in moving our country toward clean sources of electricity, such as wind, solar and nuclear,” explained Barbara Kasoff, president of WIPP. “With so much resting on the energy and environment policy decisions we make today, women’s voices count now more than ever.”
The survey also found that 97% of women interviewed are working to conserve electricity via lowering thermostats; turning off lights and appliances when not in use; purchasing energy-saving fluorescent light bulbs; and installing energy-efficient appliances, doors, windows, or insulation.
However, the survey also revealed that the majority of women are unclear about electricity’s effect on the environment. Only 7% of the women surveyed understood that electricity-generating power plants are the biggest cause of global warming in the USA.
Visit: www.wipp.org and www.wcee.org
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