It is no secret that the green movement has taken off in the last decade. What is often overlooked, however, is the key role that women have played in driving the widespread adoption of sustainable practices as well as the embrace of sustainable products. From taking on leading positions as environmental activists to choosing the environmentally friendly option in everyday purchases, women everywhere are defining the green industry and unmistakably emerging as the “stewards” of our environmental revolution.
According to the Women’s Survey on Energy & the Environment—the first in-depth survey to be conducted on women’s attitudes and awareness about energy—American women are, in fact, the nation’s primary energy “decision makers.” As the study confirmed, in 77% of cases, American women pay the household utility bills and thereby make the critical decisions on energy use in their homes. Women overwhelmingly want the country to move toward clean energy sources, and more than half (57%) are even willing to pay $30 more per month for it. This signifies an underlying commitment to renewable energy regardless of a price premium.
So why have women become so deeply invested in the green movement? Generally acknowledged as being the custodians of their family’s health, women want to create healthy, green homes for their loved ones. The healthiest household purchases are often the most environmentally friendly, and as women are the dominant decision makers when it comes to such purchases, they are creating an ever-growing demand for green appliances and alternatives to traditional toxic products. The traditional role of nurturing the family prompts women to put the greater good over economic self-interest in their activism, says Karen Steuer, of the House’s Committee on Resources. “Men are out in front on property rights and self-interest issues … Women think about their families and the environment. They worry, ‘If I take my kids to the beach, can they swim or will they be wading around in oil spills?’”
Women—with and without children—are very concerned about leaving a better planet for the next generation. According to the survey, when it comes to choosing electricity sources, sustainability is a more important goal for women than reliability or cost. This is reflected by their recent efforts to curb electricity use: 97% of women are conserving electricity, and they are doing so through a broad range of steps such as lowering thermostats, turning off lights and appliances when not in use, purchasing energy-saving fluorescent light bulbs, keeping their homes cooler in winter, installing energy efficient appliances, doors, windows, or insulation. Women’s clear support for conserving electricity and switching to more environmentally friendly sources is good news for those advocating alternative energy options such as wind, solar, and nuclear that do not pollute the air we breathe or contribute to global warming.
It is important to note that women are not merely contributing to the environmental movement by making sustainable choices at home. They are also doing so at work. Women business owners are at the forefront of leading America toward energy conservation and clean energy: according to the survey, 79% have recently taken steps to make their businesses more environmentally friendly, and 87% favor federal tax incentives to encourage companies to become more energy-efficient and use more clean energy. Furthermore, given the tendency of women towards finding solutions to challenges, collaborating, and communication, it comes as no surprise that women fill a majority of the sustainable officer roles emerging throughout corporate America.
“The number of women in leadership roles reflects the fact that women care about these issues and are attracted to this kind of work in the first place,” says Patricia Forkan, executive vice president of the Humane Society of the US. “Cause-related positions demand teamwork, which is how women tend to manage.”
The Women In Green Forum—scheduled for September 1st and 2nd at the Pasadena Convention Center—will celebrate the pivotal role of women in driving us towards a healthier green future. And who better to organize the Forum than Three Squares Inc., a woman-led firm that is dedicated to developing innovative solutions to cope with the environmental crises facing our planet.
For more information on the Women In Green Forum, visit http://www.womeningreenforum.com.
Check out an article detailing the Women’s Survey on Energy & the Environment at http://www.ethicalmarkets.com/2009/07/06/women-are-the-energy-decision-makers-and-want-the-us-to-move-toward-clean-energy-a-new-national-survey-shows/.
