Comments on: Is It Green, Religious, Or Just Smart?

By: Carrie

Carrie — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 01:47:31 +0000

I’ve recently been called a “hippie” (with the implied tone of “flake”)… and I’ve also been asked “Do you ever just buy anything at the store!?!”.

By: MamaBird/SurelyYouNest

MamaBird/SurelyYouNest — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:30:03 +0000

Tiffany, I love this post – I will have to head over and read La Marguerite’s also – I think you nailed two of the concerns people have who are resistant (at least in my experience) to smart choices: cost and convenience. Cost is tricky, because it’s all in how you define it. Is it cheaper to foist the consequences of our actions onto some other person (cheap manufacturing) or onto another generation (pollution and resource depletion)? Is it cheaper to buy with less packaging, in bulk? Nope, but it takes time – and corrodes people’s sense of convenience. I say sense of convenience because lots of things, like using rags instead of paper towels, seem like they ought to be more work but are really more about changing habits. Lots of what I have figured out to do to be ’smarter’ aka greener involves effort – making things from scratch, etc. So I am sensitive to those who resist changing a particular behavior. I’m not even close to perfect and there *are* things I won’t do just to be greener — would it be more eco-friendly to use cloth wipes instead of toilet paper? Probably, but I am not willing to do it. Everyone does have their own threshhold for what they’re capable of and/or willing to do to seek a more sustainable, smarter lifestyle. Probably most of the people mocking environmentalists, though, are not those working through which particular changes they want to make. In general, I make a point of noticing that most people around us are actively trying to act in a responsible way — whether we can see it or not (the best smart choices are invisible for the most part – buying little, putting insulation in your attic, that ilk). Lifestyle *is* a choice and it was Lynn from OrganicMania who put it so succinctly recently, that she’s tired of people acting “greener than thou!” Sure, I live near people who drive SUVs and don’t care about their consumption. Not all neighborhoods are like mine, but all around me, I also have people who are making significant changes — my immediate neighbor’s converting an old diesel to run on vegetable oil, for instance. I say, ignore the haters and continue to focus on the vast community of like-minded folks — and, more importantly, those who are interested but think they don’t have the time or money. Those people will really resonate with your message once they see how cheap and easy being smart can be!

By: Helena

Helena — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 02:20:53 +0000

I found that I often felt guilty for NOT using a plastic bag, and that I had to sort of fight to get to use it. The baggers were always so fast and it took me a couple of times before I managed to yell “No bag!’ (buying only ONE tiny item) or pretty much throw the canvas bags at them. I feel like NOBODY likes to use plastic bags, but a lot of people have my same fear. I’ve been emailing grocery stores to ask them to ask their baggers to start asking us again, with a slight twist, “Paper, plastic, or reusable?” They never ask me anymore, they’re always in such a hurry and they throw it in the plastic bags. I’m super quick now, but why should people have to learn to be? If you have seen this, perhaps you can email grocery store chains and request this as well? Or you can ask them to ban plastic bags as well
Oh, and I’m so happy, today I went to a store where they gave me 2 cents back because I used reusable

By: elisa

elisa — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:41:54 +0000

Not only is green living smart and practical, it is a good way to teach kids to value things…spending the time taking care of things we have (cleaning,fixing, making from scratch) is by far better than teaching them the monetary value.

Fantastic blog!

By: Christine Stewart

Christine Stewart — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 11:44:18 +0000

We were getting a hard time from some family members about our green choices until my husband started saying “It’s cheaper in the long run to implement green ideas.” That shut them up real quick like.

By: Stretch Mark Mama

Stretch Mark Mama — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 06:34:45 +0000

Having recently moved from the heart of the Midwest to the West Coast, I have noticed a distinct culture shift towards “those wacky environmentalists.” I, for one, feel more at home with the “crazies” (who aren’t so crazy) but know all too well what it feels like to be (mis) labeled.

By: To Think Is To Create

To Think Is To Create — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 18:10:53 +0000

I commented on Sommer’s post about this, but just wanted to say here that I totally get what you are saying. I think that there is a certain amount of public pressure that is needed to prompt change. The only thing is that there are the newbies that we want to get on board, and it does take a while and a lot of change and they need to be accepted into the “family” where they are at right now, today. Eventually their own convictions will set it, and their own form of guilt will push them along.

Great post.

By: Beth

Beth — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:21:19 +0000

I, too, get made fun of by my family and friends for my “green” efforts in my life. I get called a myriad of names, eyes rolled and so forth. Sometimes, I think I’m the only one in my town that even cares enough to try. But I do. In the hopes that one person will see my efforts and want to give it a try too. No, I don’t think being green is a religion. Change begins small. Usually the people who go against the popular “flow” of things are made fun of. Until they actually begin to change things and suddenly it’s not so odd. i believe change is possible globally.

By: Melissa

Melissa — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 01:17:13 +0000

Tiffany, well said! Like you, my younger brother gives me a hard time about my commitment to the environmental movement. I just stick to my convictions and keep doing what I believe to be right (it does sound religious). Maybe the environmental movement is being compared to religion because it does take commitment and sacrifice, but so do lots of things.

Brooke, like you, I started to live “green” out of necessity and it just made sense. I like the idea of your new home and sorry to hear about the old one burning down. Good luck!

By: Tiffany

Tiffany — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:02:30 +0000

I would argue that people such as those are not even remotely green anyway. How green is it to burn a house? These people have issues for sure and they give us a bad name.

However, on a local forum specific to my town the wackos are people who don’t want to drill for oil in Alaska, who want dedicated land for animal habitats regardless of their monetary value, who want to pass carbon laws for auto makers, etc.