The 40th Anniversary of Earth Day will take place on April 22nd! So where are we 40 years later?
There are many who think that the concepts of “green” and “green living” have been exploited, misused, overused and even modified to such an extent that one cannot tell what it really means to be “green.” Those same people believe the motto “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” is even more washed up and worn out. For many, that frustration leads to non-action and even disbelief that there really is any kind of problem which needs addressing.
We may be bored with the motto and its triangular symbol, but our need to reduce, reuse and recycle is more critical than ever before. And although “green” and “green living” have been and are indeed being exploited by many manufacturers of products and/or providers of services, our need to understand and find ways to adopt “green” practices is vital to our planet. Our health and the health of our planet depend on every individual taking more personal responsibility in making eco-conscious decisions each and every day. Rather than throwing up our hands in frustration because terms such as green, environmentally friendly, environmentally safe, sustainable, and many, many more, have been and are being used as great marketing ploys, we must take these words and phrases and define them for ourselves, our families, and our communities. Just because the definitions are being watered down or exploited to the point that we’re not sure what these words really mean anymore doesn’t justify throwing the baby out with the bath water. These terms began with great intention to preserve and restore our planet. That intention still exists. It is up to each of us to redefine these terms in order to bring deepening meanings for today while maintaining their original intentions.
What this means to me is that when we encounter these terms in the marketplace, we cannot take them at face value. We need to dig deeper. It would be great if we could just accept the claims of any product or service, but that has really never been the case. That saying “Buyer Beware” has been around for a very long time! In terms of green living this translates to a few rules of thumb to follow. If a product says that it is “green,” it’s important to read further to understand what ingredients it contains and/or how it was processed and packaged. For instance, if a laundry soap says that it is environmentally friendly, is it because the container is slightly smaller than what was being produced a year ago? If so, continue to read on further and see if the ingredients also hold up to that definition. As for services, if a pest control company, for example, says it is “green” or uses the word “green” in its name, look into why. If the company is still using the same old hazardous products and rarely–if ever–promotes products which truly are environmentally friendly or if the company does not use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices, then the company really isn’t “green.” It is up to us to look deeper to see what shade of green a company or product truly is.
It is also up to each of us to look for ways to re-ignite and re-energize the motto “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” in our own lives. Over the next 20 days, I will include ideas in my posts to stimulate our efforts.
FOR TODAY…To start us off on this 2nd day of April, let’s begin to dig deeper to understand the environmental claims of products or services. Let’s try to find out if there is a valid reason for those claims. It is up to each of us to spend our dollars on products and services that are truly beneficial to us and our planet. By choosing to not purchase products or services which are potentially harmful, we send a message to manufacturers and service providers that we will not support anything which is not supporting the healing of our planet!
