In the last few years, corporations have talked a great deal about becoming more environmentally friendly—and their growing commitment to sustainability.

But consumers don’t believe them. And, apparently, with good reason.

According to the “Sense & Sustainability Study,” from public relations firm Gibbs & Soell, conducted by Harris Interactive, only 16% of US consumers think a majority of businesses are committed to “going green.”

A plurality of consumers (48%) do believe “some” businesses are committed to sustainability.

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According to a survey in the “Q2 2010 Home Remodeling and Repair Index,” released by ServiceMagic, 59% of US homeowners considered green home improvement projects over the last quarter—showing a clear majority of Americans are aware of the energy efficiency benefits of retrofitting.

The problem is that consideration did not translate into construction.

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Research from “Green Living Pulse,” an annual survey from Shelton Group finds that consumers are making an effort to go a little greener this year.

In 2010, 84% of consumers said they were looking for green products and participating in green activities—up 7% from 2009.

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Green moms have long been on marketers’ radar, while their male counterparts have largely been on the back burner. Now the “Make Way for EcoAware Dads” report, from EcoFocus Worldwide, recommends paying attention to dads, too.

Defined as fathers in the US that agree with the statement, “When my kids are grown, I want them to remember me as teaching them to be environmentally responsible” (65% of respondents), EcoAware Dads want to buy more green products—but are prohibited by cost, availability and convenience.

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The USDA reported that over the last half-century American consumers became “conspicuous consumers of sugar and sweet-tasting foods and beverages.”

Per capita consumption of caloric sweeteners increased 43 pounds, or 39%, between 1950-59 and 2000, when Americans consumed an average 152 pounds of caloric sweeteners each, only 3 pounds below 1999’s record average of 155 pounds.

What will the upcoming 2010 report show? Will green awareness and healthier eating habits cut the rise of sweet consumption—or make no difference at all?

As the New York Times blog Green put it, “What a difference an oil spill makes.”

Californians’ wariness of offshore drilling dates back to the Santa Barbara spill of 1969, but the Gulf of Mexico spill seems to have shifted public sentiment in the state quickly, even father away from offshore drilling—and toward a more activist view on global warming.

A poll taken by Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) shows that after favoring offshore drilling for the past two years, Californians now oppose drilling off the coast, 59% to 36%.

That is a sizable 16-point shift in opinion from last year, when only 43% were opposed to offshore drilling.

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The ups and downs of the public’s interest in—and attitudes toward—BP and its handling of the Gulf oil spill can be traced in online activity.

According to blog and twitter tracking by Sysomos, which provides business intelligence for social media, after April 20, 2010, when the Deepwater Horizon platform first caught fire, to July 15, 2010, when the spill was finally capped, social media mentions of BP exploded.

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One thing is certain, US consumers are tightening their belts and cutting back.

According to “The Harris Poll,” conducted by Harris Interactive, people are increasingly doing a number of small things to save money. For instance, they are cutting media consumption, canceling magazine, newspaper and cable TV subscriptions.

The main reasons for the changes in consumption patterns are economic, but as a result consumers are behaving in more environmentally friendly ways.

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In one of the first opinion polls released since the BP Gulf well was capped, Rasmussen Reports found 56% of US voters still believe offshore oil drilling should be allowed.

Nevertheless, 72% of voters are at least somewhat concerned that new offshore oil drilling will cause environmental problems, up 8% from last month—and that includes 39% who are “very concerned.”

Overall, however, since polling on the question began in May, there has been little change in public sentiment.

According to the GreenBiz Intelligence unit, unlike a year ago, the green business forecast is showing strong signs of growth, “Hiring continues to increase and company environmental budgets are growing.”

In last year’s survey, the economic downturn dominated environmental strategic decisions in 48% of all businesses, and 40% of large companies (over $1 billion in revenues). Not this year. Customer needs are now the most important factor driving green business decisions.

Today, only 20% of business leaders at large companies say economic concerns are driving their green agendas.

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The World Resources Institute (WRI) and Big Room partnered to create ecolabelindex.com, an online database of eco-labels from around the globe to give consumers information of which labels are legitimate—and which are not.

Although the website is still in beta, it promises to be a powerful tool for consumers worldwide.

The “2010 ImagePower Green Brands Survey,” from Cohn & Wolfe, Esty Environmental Partners, Landor and Penn Schoen Berland, shows that consumers around the globe look for eco-labels when making a purchasing decision.

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According to the “Nielsen Homescan Survey,” from the Nielsen Company, 43% of UK consumers try to buy ethical or environmentally friendly products—a percentage virtually unchanged from when the question was asked in 2007.

However, the types of products consumers actively seek out have changed significantly. The largest change is in the percentage of consumers who buy energy-efficient appliances and products—up 21% from 2007.

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It is not often that 40-year trends are made available, but that is exactly what the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) has provided, and the results should make both pro- and anti-green advocates take notice.

The “Social Trends 40″ report, which tracked changes from 1970 to 2010, showed the amount of energy used by UK households for lighting and electric appliances rose 155%. In 2007 the equivalent of 6.8 million tonnes of oil was used to power lighting and appliances in the UK, while in 1970 only 2.7 million tonnes were needed.

The increase was mainly due to the adoption of "small" household devices—personal computers, microwaves and sound systems.

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According to research from Tork, a SCA Tissue North America brand, conducted by Harris Interactive, green consumer products have become a mainstay in people’s lives.

Despite the recession, only 8% of consumers have decreased their spending on green products.

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Consumers have had it with paper documents, and that’s good news for the environment.

According to research from DocuSign, conducted by Harris Interactive, 72% of US adults are frustrated with paper-based documents.

They are specific about why, too, with most saying the fill-in spaces are too darn small.

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