Chevrolet Volt being charged from a wall outlet. (Photo courtesy of GM)

(CNSNews.com) – Automakers beware! Hybrid cars may dominate at the Detroit Auto Show, but fewer Americans said they purchased a hybrid car in 2010 than in 2009, according to a new Harris Interactive Poll.

In fact, only 8 percent of those surveyed said they "purchased a hybrid or more fuel efficient car" in 2010. That compares with 13 percent who said they had in 2009.

Only 1 percent of Americans said they bought a hybrid car -- down from 2 percent the year before.

The poll, released on Monday,  also shows that fewer Americans overall are "going green," as compared to 2009.

In addition to purchasing a hybrid, American adults were less likely to engage in a host of "green" behaviors in their daily life in 2010, including:

-- "Making an effort to use less water" (57 percent in 2010 vs. 60 percent in 2009)

-- "Purchasing locally grown produce" (33 percent vs. 39 percent)

-- "Purchasing locally manufactured products" (23 percent vs. 29 percent)

-- "Purchasing organic products" (15 percent vs. 17 percent)

-- "Composting food and organic waste" (15 percent vs. 17 percent).

Americans were also less likely to have adopted certain environmental activities endorsed by the Green Movement in the past year.

Fewer Americans purchased Energy Star appliances in 2010 than in the year previous -- a 6 percent downward difference from 2009 to 2010. Fewer donated or recycled electronics (9 percent decline); switched from bottled to tap water (6 percent decline) or installed a low-flow showerhead or toilet (5 percent decline).

Only recycling (68 percent), carpooling (16 percent) and "walking or riding a bike rather than taking public transportation" (15 percent) were unchanged over the same period.

The pollster also said that not only are fewer Americans engaging in "green" behavior, they are also less likely to embrace -- or be influenced by -- "green" attitudes.

Only 28 percent of adults said environmental issues "are very or extremely important to them when deciding how to vote for political candidates," compared to more than 1 in 3 adults (36 percent) who said this was important to them in 2009.

Paradoxically, despite declines in American attitudes and actions concerning environmental issues, the poll also found that U.S. adults were more likely to describe themselves as “conservationist” (20 percent in 2010 vs. 17 percent in 2009), "green" (18 percent vs. 13 percent), and environmentalist (16 percent vs. 13 percent) than they were previously.

Harris Interactive surveyed 2,352 U.S. adults (ages 18 and over) online from Nov. 8 to Nov. 15 of last year. No margin of error was given.