Women and the Green Movement

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What women want: a healthy green home for their family and the environment. A joint study conducted by England’s University of Leichester and NPower, a Seattle-based network development organization, determined that “people who are able to delay gratification—to invest in their future—are much more likely to Women want energy-saving appliances like this Miele Independence Refrigerator, which is the most energy-efficient in its class. make green choices,” and that women “are more likely [than men] to reuse carrier bags, turn appliances off fully and buy environmentally friendly products.” Marti Barletta, CEO and founder of TrendSight Groups and Jody Devere, president of AskPatty, would agree. In an NPR report, Barletta and Devere said that women are the dominant decision makers of household purchases in 80 percent of homes. The timely topic of the importance of women to sustainable living and the green market was explored in a presentation entitled “Capturing the Green Goddess: Green Technologies Women Want and Need in Today’s Market” at the International Builders’ Show, the annual trade show by the National Association of Home Builders, held January 20-23, 2009 in Las Vegas. The presentation was given by four women in various aspects of home building and construction—Michelle Roberts, founder of Chatham Hill Residential Design and Build, LLC, which provides commercial and residential building systems to Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states; Sara Lamia, President of Home Building Coach, Inc. in Colorado; Linda Hebert, principal of Diversified Marketing & Communications in California; and Cheryl O’Connor, principal of O’Connor Consulting, based in Northern California.  The four presented industry trends that underscored the importance of women’s roles and decisions in shaping the market for green building, Reasons for Going Green How do women determine what to put in their homes? “It’s family,” says Roberts. Lamia agrees, saying, “[Women] want excellent value for dollars spent while getting a home that best serves their family’s lifestyle needs and well-being.” The four panelists listed several products that women use in their households, which underscored a woman’s intuition to protect her loved ones. The presenters highlighted several brands of low VOC (volatile organic compound) paint, including the safe water-based paint called PROGREEN by Sherwin Williams, and Milk Paint, which is free of toxins and safe to use on children’s furniture and toys. Ventilation systems are also a priority to women buyers and for good reason: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency projects that indoor levels of pollutants may be 25 to 100 times higher than outdoor levels. According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, poor indoor air quality affects more than 15 million Americans with asthma and around 28 million with hay fever and other allergies. “Women are keenly aware of asthma and allergy issues,” Lamia says. “They want to know how to ensure a healthier indoor air quality in their new or existing home.” One such product is offered by TRANE, an environmentally friendly HVAC company that manufactures heaters and air conditioners equipped with air filtration systems that can remove up to 99.98 percent of airborne allergens. The company’s humidifiers also carefully calibrate the amount of moisture needed to prevent irritating airborne particulate from circulating freely. Deciding Where to Go Green Energy- and water-efficient appliances are green products that more and more women are demanding in their homes.

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