Americans and Australians who watched SOS | Live Earth events were more influenced by Live Earth than British watchers, according to a Lightspeed Research and The Ethical Reputation Index survey that asked those aware of the event whether Live Earth would encourage them to do more to combat climate change.
A majority of respondents said Live Earth would not alter their behavior, but those who actually watched the event were more likely to respond positively.
Among those who watched the event, Americans were the most enthusiastic: 61% said it would encourage them to do more regarding climate change, compared with 51% in Australia and about one-third in Britain.
The figures were much lower among people who were aware of the event but did not watch it, with 17% of non-watching American respondents saying Live Earth would encourage them to do more. Only 6% of non-watching Britons and 18% of non-watching Australians said the event would encourage them to do more.
Some respondents are already taking action to minimize their impact on the environment. But although re-using and recycling are common activities, especially in the UK and Australia, fewer people are willing to make other changes, like reducing car or air travel or actively looking for greener alternatives to the products and services they already use.
There was some cynicism about the reason that artists had chosen to become involved with the Live Earth event.
Just over half of Americans thought concern about the climate was the reason celebrities were taking part, compared with two-thirds (68%) of Australians and 40% of Britons.
“Our research shows that the climate change message is getting through, but that the concerts for Live Earth aren’t the only approach to encourage people to do even more. It may be that artists and celebrities aren’t seen as credible voices to encourage people to limit their environmental impact, or it may be that some of the coverage of the event detracted from the organizers’ message,” said Karen Fraser of The Ethical Reputation Index.