If America’s more than 47 million Hispanics are the determining factor in many aspects of American life, it follows that their interests and worries will increasingly leave their mark on America’s political agenda. As recent studies demonstrate, Hispanics are committed to protecting the environment, changing wasteful consumer habits and contributing to the conservation of the planet and natural ecosystems.
A recent national survey emphasizes these tendencies among Hispanics. To obtain their results, the Knoxville, Tennessee based research firm, Shelton Group, surveyed around 1,000 adults of diverse races, origins, and geographical zones. Results indicate that 75 percent of Hispanics are likely to consume “green” products, as compared to 61 percent of white Americans and 57 percent of African-Americans; Hispanics are also more worried about conserving the environment than the other two groups and are willing to spend more money to be true to their ideals.
Hispanics’ “green conscience” is further demonstrated by the 65 percent of Hispanics that have spoken with their children about ecological ideas and natural conservation, in comparison to the 49 percent of parents who spoke with their children about the environment in other surveyed groups.
This information reflects Hispanics’ concerns and ideals and makes them an important target group for conservationist projects, ecological initiatives, and “green” purchases, especially those which manage to be respectful of the environment while respecting human lives and priorities.

Hispanics’ perspectives are important because the Hispanic presence in this country continues to grow and our community will determine in a big way what policies are successful and which policies will be supported. Answering the ecological or environmental question, from a responsible, realistic perspective, without demagogy, is important to all Americans. Although it has been an unresolved issue for conservatives for some time, conservatives now have an opportunity to face the issue together with the support of sincere, responsible, and well-informed Hispanics.
This good news would be even better if Hispanics were to more vocally support the implementation of more rigorous regulations for vehicular and industrial pollution, two areas that still require conscientious and energetic action.
Another interesting fact revealed in the survey data is that men and women have equally preoccupied about the environment. This is the first step to successfully encouraging conservationist and environmental action in order to create an ecological culture that respects our environment while facilitating economic growth and progress without destroying our last natural sanctuaries and the animal species that inhabit them.
Hispanic Americans’ leadership in this tendency in public opinion and strength in numbers places them in a place to help develop ecological initiatives and communicate conservationist messages without interference or manipulation from the press, politicians, interest groups, or private sectors.
Hispanics and the environment are two essential elements to the type of modern conservatism that can and will face the challenges of our time in a responsible and humanist way.