It's not easy being green

The New York Times recently reported that "green is the new black." How true that is. Like many fads, I find the surging popularity of buying green/local/organic/eco-friendly laced insincerity. Take, for example, the Conlin-Beavan family who are working to reduce their so-called environmental footprint by engaging in a "No Impact" way of life for a year. Certainly their desire to produce as little waste as possible, reduce carbon emissions, and support local food producers is commendable. But those good intentions are off-set by the fact that this experimental way of life is also the basis for a book deal.

I certainly do not begrudge people that can afford to live a no-impact lifestyle, but quite frankly it takes quite a bit of money and, I believe, it ignores the current realities of our global economy. The green movement seems to be fractured into several camps -- those who refuse to buy, those who spend to become green, those who do their best but don't have the monetary means to fully commit, and those who, while acknowledging the issue, think that they aren't part of the problem. Then there are those of us who care and do what we can on a daily basis but are realistic about how the world works. (Clearly I have put myself into that last category.)

Truly I haven't fully developed my argument in this area, but I have thought about it quite a bit. Here is what I do know: we all need to take steps to reduce our environmental impact; recycling does not cost money, nor does turning off unused lights, electronics, etc.; reducing water usage is a simple and effective; buying in-season produce from local farms and farmer's markets is a cost-effective way to support the community. These are really small things. Really small. Yet I think they are ways we can all participate in the environmental movement no matter how rich, poor, young, old. Instead of writing a book about it, let's get out into our communities and work together to make it happen.