After researching the public's general understanding (or lack thereof) of energy issues, Public Agenda is working with Planet Forward, to improve America's "Energy Learning Curve", a term they've gone so far as to have trademarked. How steep is the curve? Based on the initial report, nearly vertical. Thirty nine percent (39%) of Americans cannot name a fossil fuel. Even fewer can name a renewable energy source. Thirty one (31%) believe that solar energy contributes to global warming. There's more. Much more. But Public Agenda's point is not to mock our lack of understanding. It's to ensure that we learn the basic facts we need so that we can make reasoned decisions and move forward.
There are some problems, even public policy decisions, that can safely be left to the professionals - experts who spend their lives examining a problem. Energy isn't one of them. It's too interwoven into our daily lives. Not only does it touch almost every part of our lives and economy, but the decisions we make now have implications for years to come. Unless policymakers can build public support for long-term change, it probably isn't going to happen.
The Energy Learning Curve: Coming from different starting points, the public sees similar solutions. (pdf) P. 5
The report noted that many people, regardless of their knowledge level or degree of hopefulness, expressed a willingness to change their behavior. But how was not discussed much. In fact, Energy Efficiency was barely touched upon in this report. This may be quite intentional. Public Agenda's approach requires a gradual process comprised of consciousness raising, followed by a "long, arduous stage" during which people face up to the realization that they "need to make painful tradeoffs and sacrifices." Clearly, step one is not yet complete.
That said, we would argue that some of those stage two processes are already underway. Our experience tells us that a similar "curve" exists for people who have decided to engage in understanding and changing energy use in their homes. Their process often starts with asking the question, "Where do I turn?" But in short order, homeowners uncover many straightforward opportunities to increase efficiency with simple, doable, DIY projects, ranging from monitoring home energy use to installing a low-flow showerhead. Such "tradeoffs," particularly in the realm of home energy efficiency, are not necessarily painful. They may also be motivated not by a need to reduce carbon emissions, but rather to save money, with a carbon imprint-reducing side effect.
As our collective understanding of renewable energy and the interconnectedness of oil dependency, economics and climate change grows, we can only imagine that the numbers of those willing to take a small step toward greater energy efficiency will grow.
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