Women in Green

On Tuesday I attended a panel discussion at the NEOCON World Trade's Fair on a new book by Kira Gould and Lance Hosey, Women in Green, that asks an intriguing question: Is there a greener gender? According to Gould and Hosey’s research, women are more likely than men to support environmental causes through voting, activism and consumer choices. The authors spent hundreds of hours in conversation with leading voices in the field such as architects, designers, consultants, policy makers, educators and students to determine the unique impact of women on the sustainable design industry (both women and non-women as Dianne Dillon-Ridgley wryly observed during the panel discussion). The end result is a convincing argument that women may be changing how we all see our world and our work. Just a few of the facts from the book:

• Women are up to 15% more likely to rate the environment as a high priority;
• Women represent 2/3 of voters who cast ballots on environmental issues;
• Women are more likely than men to volunteer for and contribute to environmental causes, particularly those related to the health and safety of their community.

image stock.xchange

Some notable examples of women’s contribution to the field include an observation that the modern environmental movement began with a book by a woman (Rachael Carson’s Silent Spring, 1962). The first person to use the word “sustainability” in its current context was a woman (Donella “Dana” Meadows in her co-authored book Women in Green, 1972). Further, the popular biomimicry movement was spawned by an influential book written by a woman (Janine Benyus’ Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature, 1997).

For more information on the book and authors, go to the publisher’s webpage.