Shoppers choose green products in public, cheap ones in private

When someone's watching do you pick up the environmentally-safe dishwashing liquid and compact fluorescent light bulbs? But when no one's around scarf fried pork rinds and hose the dirt off your driveway?

Don't feel bad; you are definitely not alone. A new survey from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota tells us that in public people like to buy green products to appear altruistic or concerned about the environment, but if alone or online, will forgo what's green for better value, comfort or convenience.

His experiment was done in a controlled environment that may or may not mirror our society (students who read reports on going green being considered higher status tended to choose green products, while less likely to do so if shopping online.) However, I think most shoppers today -- especially in this recession -- are forgoing green to save green, as in money.