Majority of Rhode Islanders Won’t Make Changes to Lower Greenhouse Gases
GoLocalProv News Team
Majority of Rhode Islanders Won’t Make Changes to Lower Greenhouse Gases
In Rhode Island, many communities have tried to block the development of solar and wind projects that would help shift energy production to renewables -- and new data shows just 43 percent of Rhode Islanders are willing to make a “big lifestyle change.” The percentage is the lowest in New England and one of the lowest in the United States.
More than a dozen Rhode Island communities have passed or are considering adopting moratoriums against solar development. According to the New York Times, Rhode Island is one of the most dependent states on natural gas to produce electricity.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTIn contrast, the study reveals that two-thirds of Massachusetts residents are prepared to make big lifestyle changes to combat climate change.
Across the country, the study finds that:
- Women more willing than men to fight climate change
- Kansans the least likely to make lifestyle changes
- Rhode Islanders are the least likely to make changes in New England
- 66% of Americans would consider reducing their energy usage to help combat the causes of climate change
The data was collected on behalf of the solar installation company, Sandbar Solar. The commissioned research polled 3,500 Americans to gauge if they would be prepared to make significant lifestyle changes, such as eating less meat or driving their cars less, if it helped to stop, slow or reverse global climate change.
Overall, just over half (52%) of people said they would make significant lifestyle changes, though when broken down by gender, only 44% of men would be prepared to, compared to 59% of women.
And when the results were broken down by state, it was revealed that residents of Massachusetts are among those most willing in the country to make significant lifestyle changes (67%) to help the environment, compared to Kansans who are the least disposed, where only 28% of people said they would change their habits.
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