The Green Movement

I picked up the Sunday edition of the New York Times a few months ago and I was hooked. The stories are diverse and
the writing is superb. Of course, I am an information junkie…so others who read it might not be so easily enthralled I thrive on learning new and exciting things. My heart literally races as I read facts that have never entered my thoughts before (disclaimer: nearly all traditional media outlets are owned by huge conglomerates and are biased…so always read with a critical eye!).

The article that jumped out and called to me was “Buying into the Green Movement”. I laughed out loud as I read the introductory paragraph:

“Here’s one popular vision for saving the planet: Roll out from under the sumptuous hemp-fiber sheets on your bed in the morning and pull ona pair of $245 organic cotton Levi’s and an Armani biodegradable knit shirt.

Stroll from the bedroom in your eco-McMansion, with it’s photovoltaic solar panels, into the kitchen remodeled with reclaimed lumber. Enter the 3-car garage lighted by energy-sipping fluorescent bulbs and slip behind the wheel of your $104,000 Lexus Hybrid.

Drive to the airport, where you settle in for an 8,000 mile flight–careful to buy carbon offsets beforehand–and spend a week driving golf balls made from compacted fish food at an eco-resort in the Maldives.”

The article goes on to say that even though there are so many eco-friendly products for you to buy…buying them does NOT necessarily make the earth more happy. You are still consuming. When you consume, those resources have to come from somewhere. Is it more earth-friendly to keep your non-organic, yet still comfortable cotton sheets until they wear out, or to buy brand new organic cotton sheets? When you buy the new sheets, cotton needs to be harvested and shipped to a manufacturer. The manufacturer makes the sheets which requires electricity, water, and numberless other items. Then the sheets are shipped in (most likely) a gas-guzzling semi (oh wait…maybe it’s a biodiesel semi :)).

Basically, what they are saying is that the “green consumerism movement” is not so green after all. When you buy a lot of new things to be more “green”…you could be adding to the problem. However, in my opinion, there is an exception when you are buying something that is health related AND it’s more green. For example…should I just continue using my Nalgene bottles when there is evidence that they aren’t good for your body? No…you should run as fast as you can and buy some stainless steel water bottles. Or, should I just continue to use up my nasty chemical cleaners or use natural cleaners right away? My choice would be to get rid of them immediately (or donate them to someone or some place who hasn’t seen the eco-light yet ) Should you throw out all of your old clothes and only buy organic, natural fiber clothing? Probably not. Everyone will have a different opinion on what is right for them…just be mindful of your own choices.

Back to the article:

Paul Hawken, an author and longtime environmental activist, said the current boom in earth-friendly products offers a false promise. “Green consumerism is an oxymoronic phrase,” he said. He blamed the news media and marketers for turning environmentalism into fashion and distracting from serious issues.

“We turn toward the consumption part because that’s where the money is,” Mr. Hawken said. “We tend not to look at the ‘less’ part. So you get these anomalies like 10,000-foot ‘green’ homes being built by a hedge fund manager in Aspen. Or ‘green’ fashion shows. Fashion is the deliberate inculcation of obsolescence.”

He added: “The fruit at Whole Foods in winter, flown in from Chile on a 747 — it’s a complete joke. The idea that we should have raspberries in January, it doesn’t matter if they’re organic. It’s diabolically stupid.”

Basically, you just want to use common sense. Make the right choice for yourself and your family, but don’t do it just to be trendy. Just because it says it’s “eco-friendly” on the package doesn’t mean it meets your own personal standards. Just because it’s at your local coop doesn’t mean the food didn’t come from overseas. Be diligent in educating yourself about what exactly you are purchasing. Where did it come from? Who made it? Why do I need this?

When it comes to celebrities touting green lifestyles, etc…I want to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. It’s a given that there are many companies and individuals who will use the green movement to make money (greenwashing), get their name out there, etc. And there are a lot of people who will say how those people aren’t “green enough” or they have other motives. I say…who cares?! Whether they have pure motives or not, they are still spreading the word about living greener and lighter on the earth. Even if one person is inspired to make a change in their lifestyle, all of those little changes will add up to big change.

A perfect example of this is the Live Earth event that happened on 07/07/07. If you haven’t heard about it…this event was a worldwide concert spotlighting green living and fighting global warming. Yes, there were celebrities. Yes, they will probably sell more albums because they performed at Live Earth. BUT…think of all of the concert-goers who heard the message of living greener who may have never even thought about it before! Just for that single fact, it was a wonderful event.

How green are you? Are you light green? Dark green? Sage green? Who cares. That’s silly It’s not a change that you make overnight…you make little changes, one at a time. Let’s not judge anyone on how green they are compared to anyone else. Let’s just make our own changes and encourage others in their journey as well.

17 Responses to “The Green Movement”

1. Jul
   9
   2007
   At 8:25 pm Whitney says:

   wow… I fully agree with you. I have always felt like at the heart of my personal “green-ness” is the desire to live simply. Yeah, we are broke, and that makes it necessary to live simply, but it does kind of crack me up at the price of organic, eco-friendly, “green” items. Checking out my local natural food stores eco-friendly cleaners… $6 for glass cleaner, when vinegar is $1.69 a gallon in my neck of the woods. But I guess, if someone can profit from it, they will. Even I was thinking up my own eco-vention last night as I was bathing my son.
   In another thought, why not shop at the thrift store, or check out freecycle so that even the “green” manufacturing companies don’t make more “stuff.” If it’s just clothes.. or shoes.. or toys… who cares if it’s organically made if it’s already here.

   Oh, by the way… I’m partial to lime green, and I donated my chemical cleansers to our local crisis pregnancy resource center.
2. Jul
   9
   2007
   At 10:38 pm Andrea says:

   I totally agree, Sara.
   Personally, I don’t like the whole “green” thing, b/c it *is* already so commercialized and moralized.
   I think “Live Simply so others can simply live” is a better way of phrasing it all.
   Good thoughts.
3. Jul
   9
   2007
   At 11:02 pm Nichole says:

   That’s why I love your blog, Sara. It’s not about buying expensive “green” things (which I cannot afford!). It’s about living simply which is something we can ALL do.

   I, too, want to make the switch to natural cleaners. Vinegar sounds like a good idea; I’m not too keen on the smell, though. Does a lot of rinsing get that out? I probably won’t be making the switch too soon; I’m stocked up on chemical cleaners for a long time and I couldn’t donate with a clear conscious. I would just feel like I were harming others.
4. Jul
   9
   2007
   At 11:15 pm nikki says:

   Here I am just making baby steps. I try to do “green” things, but I could do better. I just try to remember that everyone has different circumstances and situations. Really I just strive for a less complex life, which at times seems so hard to have in this society. Thanks for the food for thought Sara (:
5. Jul
   9
   2007

   At 11:18 pm Sara says:

   Nichole…the vinegar smell dissipates almost immediately. I add essential oils to my cleaners and that helps. You’ll still get a little vinegar smell as you’re cleaning but it goes away. Vinegar smell is much, much better than a bleachy, toxic smell! And better for your body.

   When using vinegar in laundry…I don’t notice the smell at all. It just takes out any smell that was in the laundry…neutralizes it I guess It’s miracle working stuff.
6. Jul
   9
   2007
   At 11:25 pm Nichole says:

   Oh, I’m glad and excited to hear that!
7. Jul
   9
   2007
   At 11:32 pm Megan says:

   Sara - just wanted to let you know that Mars Hill (Rob Bell’s church) is doing a sermon series in July called, “God is Green” that I thought you might be interested in

   Free downloads are on their site or available as a Podcast…maybe something to listen to as you’re drivin’ along!
8. Jul
   9
   2007

   At 11:38 pm Sara says:

   Thanks Megan…I’ll definitely check it out! We love Rob Bell.
9. Jul
   9
   2007
   At 11:45 pm Marianna says:

   Another great post!! I had to laugh when I saw that Pottery Barn is now selling organic cotton sheets…you know a movement has gone consumer when Pottery Barn gets in on it!! I’ll admit I succumbed this past week and bought Mrs. Meyer’s products…the kicker is they are about 5 times the price of what I had been using (vinegar and baking soda) and they don’t work nearly as well!
10. Jul
    10
    2007
    At 12:24 am Nichole says:

    Oh, and on a slightly different subject but related to this post, one more thought!

    Just because something says it’s environmentally friendly doesn’t mean it is. For example, when a food establishment uses recycled paper for napkins, cups, etc. and offers discounts for bringing your own cups and donates coffee grinds for compost but still wraps individual sandwiches in plastic and warms them on disposable trays, etc. and doesn’t always recycle plastics and creates about 33 gallons of trash an hour, it’s not doing the best it can! I encourage people to write suggestions to this establishment (you know what it is) when they notice waste. If enough people write, this company does make changes.
11. Jul
    10
    2007
    At 7:36 am Kristi says:

    Thanks, Megan - for the info. I, too, love Mars Hill and will be downloading those sermons…. My husband always says he wants me to be more obsessed with the gospel of Jesus Christ than anything else… and I’m always trying to do that and line everything in my life with how God would want me to live (aren’t we all who are Christians?)…. anyway, I recently read Randy Alcorn’s book “Heaven,” and it really made me think further about the importance of treating our bodies and the earth with care and concern. This is more of my motivation for going “green” and “raw” and “organic,” etc….. It honors my Creator.

    I need to find a few quotes from that book and come back and post them…. Anyway, thanks, Sara!
12. Jul
    10
    2007
    At 10:24 am Leslie says:

    Terrific post Sara! And Kristi, I haven’t read Randy Alcorn’s book, but I agree with what you said about going “green” for our Creator.

    Yesterday, I just had to laugh as I was checking out at the grocery store. I decided to ask for paper bags since I had just taken most of my plastic bags to be recycled (hopefully). The cashier complied, but then I realized she was putting the paper bags inside of plastic bags! I didn’t have the heart to say anything as I figured she was doing this to make it easier for me to carry the bags. As I loaded my groceries in my jeep, I took the paper bags out of the plastic ones, and then I put the plastic bags in the recycling bin at the store. I am glad to report that when my hubby and I went to a Sears Hardware store over the weekend and bought 3 small items, the cashier asked if we wanted a bag for them. I replied, “No thank you!”
13. Jul
    10
    2007
    At 11:18 am Christian says:

    I read this article when it first came out and thought it was such a good piece. FYI you can create a user name on the New York Times website and read most if not all of the content that comes in the paper for free….Speaking of whole foods type stores, I have a question. The other day I went to the union square farmers market with the hopes of buying fresh local organic produce. I found fresh and local but not organic and I ended up going in to Trader Joes across the street and buying organic. Whats the most important, Caring for my body first or the environment?
14. Jul
    10
    2007

    At 11:29 am Sara says:

    Christian…I posted awhile back about the local vs. organic question. There were quite a few comments as well…with good discussion.

    Check it out here: http://walkslowlylivewildly.com/category/organic/

    My short answer to your question would be that a lot of times when it’s a local, small farm, they may well be “organic”, but not certified organic. They may not use pesticides, but because they haven’t paid the price to get certified they can’t advertise as such.

    It’s best just to talk to each farmer individually and find out how they raise their crops.

    I buy local tomatoes from a farm that isn’t technically organic, but they don’t use chemicals. Local tomatoes are so wonderful that I don’t care if they aren’t certified.

    Then you must decide which fruits and veggies are the most important for you to have organic instead of local.
15. Jul
    10
    2007
    At 4:07 pm Aimee says:

    I was just told about another great book today at my local coop called:
    “Serve God, Save the Planet: A Christian Call to Action” by Dr. J. Michael Sleeth
    that might interest you.
    I get so tired of consumerism and hate seeing it in the green movement. I’m all for the simple things and learning to make do.
16. Sep
    5
    2007
    At 11:57 am Nichole says:

    Sara, I’ve just discovered a bunch of natural cleaner recipes at Care2.com. Just thought I’d let you know! I’m STILL not through my chemical cleaners yet but I’m preparing for when they run out. One of the suggestions was yours — adding essential oils to vinegar. I think it’s a great idea; and vinegar really is a powerful cleaner.
17. Nov
    12
    2007
    At 11:20 pm tc says:

    Sara - my wife was one of your former “pampered” girls in NE, and we occasionally visit your blog to stay current with where you’re at and what you’re up to. You, Matt & Bella are an inspiration to our family, so thanks, and keep up the great work.

    I heard a couple interesting pieces during NPR’s Morning Edition (http://marketplace.publicradio.org/) on my way to work that I thought you would also be interested in. They are doing a week-long series called “Consumed. Is the Consumer Economy Sustainable?” Check out the links for AM, PM and the Weekend editions. There’s a variety of pieces surrounding the topic of consumerism.

    Walk slowly, live wildly…and travel safely

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