Meet 'The Greens'
Segmenting the adult nation - Meet 'The Greens'
Through statistical analysis of the polling data from the adult's survey, five distinct groups of people were identified. Each group differs in its attitudes and behaviour towards energy and the environment.
The five groups derived from this statistical analysis have been represented as members of a fictional family, 'The Greens'.
The characteristics and the behaviour of each family member are based on real-life individuals included in the research.
Inside is a statistical description of each member of the Green family, 'The Greens', is made up of the following members:
Rosemary Green - Mother, aged 58
She is, by her own admission, “very middle class”. She is ready to do her bit, is encouraged when she hears about wind turbines going up around the country but hasn’t yet put herself out. She has turned down her thermostat one degree as she has been told it is the right thing to do. She doesn’t really know what else to do, but from what she has heard most initiatives to save energy are too expensive. When Uncle Tel comes round she does end up turning the lights off that he has left on. She doesn’t like wasting electricity like that. She would do more if only others would. She sums it up, “I’m ready but what do you want me to do?”
He regards himself as a success, given his level of education. Some people have referred to Peter as opinionated, he says he is informed. He has views on most things and is more than happy to share them. He loves the letters section in the paper. He is all for saving the planet, and thinks the Government and everybody else should get on with it. Personally though, he is not as active as he once was. He is happy buying organic milk, provided it doesn’t taste funny. He is happy to put the papers in the recycling, but wouldn’t do so if the Council didn’t collect them. He fills-up the whole kettle for himself. He always has. For Peter, nuclear seems a good idea as it is efficient, but the waste is a problem. He is often heard muttering to himself from behind the paper, “they should do something about all this energy stuff you know”.
Conor no longer lives at home but rents a flat in Manchester. As he is on the fourth floor, there is no way he is going to carry four separate bin bags downstairs to put them in different bins. That is just not up for discussion. He is a salesman, needs his car and loves it. His energy bills are really high, but he can afford it. He earned the money and will spend it as he sees fit. Carbon emissions may be a problem, but not his. The last time his sister visited she badgered him to turn the telly off stand-by. He thinks it is to his credit that he usually does this. He doesn’t really think wind farms or solar energy are the way forward because they are less efficient than the traditional options. In fact, he doesn’t really believe he can make any difference at all, and anyway, as he always says, “I have a lot on right now”.
Sophie Green - Daughter, aged 22
Sophie Green is currently studying zoology at university and lives away from home. She is fashionable in a responsible manner. She buys organic milk – from a supermarket. She is not militant, but actively promotes a better, healthier environment and lifestyles. She talks about issues a lot but influences her friends more by her actions than by her words. She is passionate about turning lights off when they aren’t absolutely needed. All her light bulbs are low energy. She is a keen swimmer and cycles. She doesn’t drive. She is described by her friends as ‘worthy’. She is worried about the planet her future children will live in. Her attitude is, “We all need to stand up and be counted”.
Uncle Tel - Peter's older brother, aged 62
If truth be told, Tel never fulfilled his early promise. He likes going down the pub with Peter, but Peter often pays. If Peter is opinionated, then Tel is bordering on being confrontational. He doesn’t believe that human activity is to blame for climate change (and maybe more sun would be a good thing anyway) and he can quote you the telly programmes which prove it. He doesn’t notice but he leaves windows open, leaves lights on and has all the radiators on. He also wastes a lot of water. He is usually London based, though is currently looking for suitable employment. If you were to ask him about saving energy or reducing emissions, he would reply, “It’s a lot of nonsense. I don’t believe a word of it.”
