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There. I said it. And those who know me will be shocked that I
did. But really, enough is enough.
The whole point of the green movement is to reduce, reuse, and
recycle. But with "going green" going mainstream, the news
media playing up the green movement, and the Corporate America jumping on the bandwagon,
"going green" has lost its purpose. Now its, "buy
new" because all that old stuff you have IS.GOING.TO.KILL.US.ALL.
Let me be clear. I am not against "going green" – quite the
contrary. What I am against is the "going green" consumerism.
The idea that we are doing the world good through the consumerism of
"green" products balks at the whole idea of "going
green." During the attempt to raise environmental awareness in the
early nineties, I studied ecology and environmental science in high school
(which I later taught). The idea of reduce, reuse, recycle was further
explained. The best way to "go green" is to follow those steps
IN THAT ORDER. Reduce first. Reduce waste, reduce packaging, reduce
impact, reduce consumption. Therefore, the whole idea that you buy
something green to replace something that is non-green goes against the point
(of course there are exceptions to this).
For example, getting rid of a washer or dryer simply because it isn't as
energy efficient as it could be is NOT reducing waste or even “going green”.
Where does the old one go? Well, hopefully reused by someone else, but,
more likely, the delivery people haul it away, and it goes to a landfill.
Of course, if the washer or dryer has kicked the bucket, replace it with a
shiny green model. Until then, get the best use out of your model by
doing full loads in the washer to reduce the overall amount of energy used, and
re-wear clothes that are not dirty, reducing overall consumption of energy and
water. Hang your clothes to dry.
Or how about the idea of replacing furniture, counters, or floors with
bamboo or cork just to be more “green” (and therefore more hip). Again,
it is wasteful. Unless these things are falling to pieces or are covered
in lovely lickable lead, why replace them for the sake of being green?
Dress up old furniture by painting them with milk paint (a "green"
paint) or add hardware to cabinets to make them more to your liking (maybe even
ones you find at some great second-hand shops).
Furthermore, we are bombarded by products that are “green”
that we simply don’t need (even if we like them). Do we really need an umbrella stand made out
of reclaimed wood (I really like this by the way)? No. Use the wood for something that might get
more use. Or do we really need 10 solar lanterns
to decorate our mantle (again, kind of cool)?
Probably not. Or how about a bath mat made out of river rock and hemp
(and I would LOVE this)? Not really a
need. An old towel will do. We are even sold on “green” cleaners we don’t
need. Watered down vinegar with a few
drops of essential oils works wonders as a glass cleaner. Now, please don’t misunderstand me. I know that decorating a house to make it a
home can be important, and, therefore doing it “green” should be taken into
account. But, consumption, green or no,
should be minimalized to truly make a difference.
So, please, the next time you are out to purchase something
because it is “green” and it makes you feel like you are doing your part,
think. Is the purchase really “green”,
necessary, or even a great want? Can you
do something to eliminate the potential waste?
Or are you just jumping at it because it because it has a “green”
label? If it is the latter, save your
green, and forgo the purchase.
Corina Fiore from Down to Earth Mama
