According to a GFK Roper Consulting Green Gauge study, the American public is much better informed about the environment than Tea Party Republican politicians. The survey indicates that knowledge about the environment is rising and that 70 per cent now claim to know a lot or a fair amount about environmental issues and problems, up from about fifty per cent during the mid-1990’s.

In spite of rising economic concerns, Americans still want companies to go green. About three in four (74%) agree ―a manufacturer that reduces the environmental impact of its production process and products is making a smart business decision.

A slight majority are comfortable with a trade-off between environmental protection and economic development, with 52% agreeing that some pollution is inevitable if we are going to continue to make improvements in our standard of living.

Interestingly, Americans say that both financial incentives (49% say this is a major influence) and penalties (49%) have a greater influence on their green behavior than pressure from family, friends and government – with celebrities having the least reported impact on green behavior.

A summary of the report, somewhat incomplete in GallonDaily’s opinion, and a link to the full report, with many other interesting statistics, can be found at http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2011/11/prweb8926002.htm