Environment vs. Energy

A Gallup poll from May 27th states "The new results are based on a May 24-25 USA Today/Gallup poll. In March, by 50% to 43%, Americans said it was more important to develop U.S. energy supplies than to protect the environment, continuing a trend in the direction of energy production seen since 2007. Now, the majority favor environmental protection, by 55% to 39% -- the second-largest percentage (behind the 58% in 2007) favoring the environment in the 10-year history of the question."

The last part is what really got me, that this question has been asked over a period of ten years yet this is only the second time that the environment has taken precedent over energy. Obviously a lot of this has to do with current events, so I am curious as to what events were taking place when the environment came out on top before.

 I think people feel like the environment and energy need to be two separate things however they essentially work in conjunction with one another. Gallup also explained that Democrats have had a consistent view of putting the environment over energy which has only grown stronger and on the flip side Republicans favor energy. Not a big surprise with these two differing views, but still interesting to note their patterns.

It is clear that the state of the economy has shifted a lot of views on the topics of energy and the environment because people are going to prioritize, starting with themselves. The oil spill has quickly reversed much of the thinking Americans have had over the past couple years and now we are seeing a strong shift towards pro-environmentalism.

Go Green Tips

As a follow up to my last blog I read an article on the Good Housekeeping website that has a big list of simple and cheap, if not free, ideas to go green.

I mentioned in my last post that reusable bags is a really easy way to participate and has the article notes, some stores such as CVS and Ultra Foods will pay you for bringing your own bags. Another easy tip mentioned is plugging your tv or microwave or other household appliances into a power strip and before you go to bed, shut the entire thing off to prevent using energy.

One thing I've noticed living in an apartment this year is how much energy and water are wasted without realizing it. Turning off the water while brushing your teeth or doing the dishes is easy but often forgotten. And although the air in my apartment is less than stellar, most of my roommates leave their fans on and lights on for the entire day, which is energy that can be conserved.

I think if people realized how easy some things are to go green and help the environment, they would be more prone to doing it.

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/green-living/ways-to-go-green

Bag It

Many of us can take little steps in our daily lives to improve the environment. A recent Gallup poll explained that 9 in 10 Americans recycle newspaper, glass, aluminum, etc. That being said, it is also stated that Americans are not any more environmentally friendly than we were at the turn of the century.

This may be due in large part that the environment is such a large scale issue, it is not uncommon to feel overwhelmed or incapable of fixing the whole thing. The media and general retailers have been taking steps to change this, such as selling reusable shopping bags. Stores from Jewel to TJ Maxx sell reusable shopping bags for about $2. My parents have definitely hopped on this band wagon and we own about 10 bags. When I go to Jewel on Sunday with my dad I often notice that we are one of only a few people using the bags so in my observations I have not noticed the trend catching on a whole lot.

How much of a difference are these few bags really making? How many of you utilize them?  How can they be incorporated into everyone's life?