The Greenest adults are also the most tech-savvy.

While 46% of U.S. adults neither think nor act Green, the 2% of the population who are self-described Green Advocates are among the most tech-savvy consumers, according to Mediamark Research & Intelligence’s Survey of the American Consumer.

The six consumer segments produced by MRI highlight different attitudes towards the environment and actions taken to support it. Consumers are categorized from both ends of the spectrum: from those who are not Green- conscious at all, to those who make preserving the environment a major factor in their lives.

The “Greenest” of the green segments is composed of Green Advocates.

These are the most ecology-minded people: they recycle, drive hybrid cars, buy organic foods and actively preserve the environment. And although they comprise just 2% of the American population, they are the activist vanguard for the Green movement.

“Although they tend to be a relatively older group, Green Advocates are more likely to embrace technology than the other Green consumer segments, as well as than the adult population as a whole,” said Anne Marie Kelly, Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Planning at MRI. “They are opinion leaders who research and read product reviews before buying new technology. And they are 65% more likely to give technology product advice about what they’ve learned to others.”

Green Advocates are also 41% more likely to completely agree that technology helps make their life more organized; 36% more likely to be fascinated by new technologies; and 30% more likely to completely agree that computers are a good source of entertainment. They are also 24% more likely than the average U.S. adult to prefer to use the Internet when booking travel and 23% more likely to be comfortable conducting day-to-day banking online.

“Environmental concerns are important to an increasing number of corporations,” said Kelly. “Marketers wishing to advance these concerns and be seen as a Green partner must reach those thought leaders who can, in turn, lead others. Given Green Advocates’ comfort with technology, using both traditional and emerging media to reach this group should probably be considered.”

To view chart CLICK above on “more Images’.