Australians care about the planet, but they are suffering "green fatigue" after constantly hearing consumer warnings and well meaning advice, a survey reported by the Sydney Morning Herald has found.

 A Reader's Digest survey of 1,500 Australians has found that we are in danger of zoning out from messages to live a green lifestyle and are rebelling against the notion of carrying all the problems on their shoulders.

 "We know global warming is a problem," the survey report says. "But incessantly reminding us that we'll ruin a perfectly good planet if we don't half-flush, ride to work and recycle – and guess what - there's a real danger we'll just zone out."

 Despite living in one of the driest environments in the world the survey found just 31 per cent of respondents feel bad about showering for more than four minutes and 85 per cent regularly take long showers.

 Men are 50 per cent more likely not to care about letting the tap run while brushing their teeth.

 It found 94 per cent of Australians accept plastic bags and while 98 per cent say they are doing their bit for the planet, only three per cent describe their everyday behaviour as "totally committed".

 It appears that while the green messages are getting through, many people cannot give up some of their comforts.

 "15 per cent feel guilty using all the hotel towels, but do it anyway, 20 per cent feel guilty using full-flush instead of half-flush, 22 per cent regrets tossing their rubbish into the wrong bins, 19 per cent feel guilty leaving lights on when they're out."

 In the report an advertising executive describes Green as a "damaged brand".

 "The colour green is now instantly recognised as eco-friendly, but media saturation has caused the message to lose potency and gain what he describes as green fatigue," the report says.