Here's a news item that's sure to make for interesting conversation at your next dinner party. A new study has found that liberal homeowners tend to use at least five percent less electricity than conservatives.
Dora Costa and Matthew Kahn, of UCLA, conducted a study of electricity use in 280,470 single family residences in the Western United States and concluded that politically liberal households conserve more energy than politically conservative ones, reports Tom Jacobs.
Controlling for size and age of residence, climate and price of electricity, the study found that households registered as Democrats consumed 5 percent less electricity than Republican ones. Green Party members consumed 15 percent less.
Consumption rate gaps increased further for the hot summer months, with Democrats consuming 6.6 and Green Party members 19.1 percent less electricity.
The researchers conducting the study, which was published in the journal Economic Times, ascertain that there exists a relationship between human beliefs and behavior and that liberals exercise better self-restraint when the well-being of the environment is at stake.
Read the full story: Liberal homeowners use less electricity
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