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When kids learn to conserve energy, their behavior also spreads to parents
http://oregonstate.edu/ua/ncs/archives/2016/jul/when-kids-learn-conserve-energy-their-behavior-also-spreads-parents[font face=Serif][font size=5]When kids learn to conserve energy, their behavior also spreads to parents[/font]
07/11/2016
[font size=3]CORVALLIS, Ore. – Girl Scouts and their parents reported increases in energy-saving behaviors, such as turning off power strips at night and washing clothes in cold water, after the children participated in an intervention program, according to a study published today in the journal Nature Energy.
The new energy conservation program was developed by researchers from Oregon State University and Stanford University, who designed and tested the program’s effectiveness with 30 Girl Scout troops in northern California.
The researchers found that the increased energy-saving behavior, as self-reported by the children, continued for more than seven months after the trial program ended. They also found that the intervention had an effect on parents’ energy-saving behavior for more than eight months. The findings suggests that these kinds of educational programs could have a significant and lasting impact on family energy consumption, said Hilary Boudet, an assistant professor of climate change and energy at Oregon State University and lead author of the paper.
“Children are a critical audience for environmental programs, because their current behavior likely predicts future behavior,” said Boudet, who teaches in the School of Public Policy at OSU’s College of Liberal Arts. “By adopting energy-saving behaviors now and engaging family and community members in such efforts, children can play an important role in bringing about a more sustainable future.”
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07/11/2016
[font size=3]CORVALLIS, Ore. – Girl Scouts and their parents reported increases in energy-saving behaviors, such as turning off power strips at night and washing clothes in cold water, after the children participated in an intervention program, according to a study published today in the journal Nature Energy.
The new energy conservation program was developed by researchers from Oregon State University and Stanford University, who designed and tested the program’s effectiveness with 30 Girl Scout troops in northern California.
The researchers found that the increased energy-saving behavior, as self-reported by the children, continued for more than seven months after the trial program ended. They also found that the intervention had an effect on parents’ energy-saving behavior for more than eight months. The findings suggests that these kinds of educational programs could have a significant and lasting impact on family energy consumption, said Hilary Boudet, an assistant professor of climate change and energy at Oregon State University and lead author of the paper.
“Children are a critical audience for environmental programs, because their current behavior likely predicts future behavior,” said Boudet, who teaches in the School of Public Policy at OSU’s College of Liberal Arts. “By adopting energy-saving behaviors now and engaging family and community members in such efforts, children can play an important role in bringing about a more sustainable future.”
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