Green is becoming a bad word?

I was standing in line at the grocery store the other day when I noticed something out of the ordinary among the celebrity trash rags at the checkout counter:  a copy of "green @ home", a special publication from the Taunton Press' "Fine Homebuilding".  OK, so I'm not looking to build a new home, but the cover articles really appealed to me:

• breathe easier with new paints
• grow your garden greener
• recycle without the hassle
• save money with energy tax credits
• 4 inspiring kitchens and baths
• how to create a healthy, energy-smart home

Of course it caught my eye!  I snatched it right up and put it on the conveyer belt, and was almost too excited to read it to put the groceries away!  It was a treat, filled with all kinds of inspiration for ways to improve my home's enviromental impact on the earth.  Lots of great tips and information between the pages.  I wish it was a regular publication. 

But nestled within was an article titled "Are green homes too expensive?"  Regardless of the content of the article (excellent, I must add), there was a paragraph that really stood out to me.  Here it is:

"Green is becoming a bad word.  The first problem with any discussion of green building is the term itself.  Green is becoming a divisive, political word, like liberal  and  conservative.  Ironically, green is associated with liberal, while the root of conservation is conserve, which means 'to protect from loss or depletion; preserve.'  "

It goes on to further delve into the manipulation of the word for marketing purposes as well.  I was applauding the author, Kevin Ireton, throughout my reading session.  Since when does being concious of our resources become fodder for politics and pandering to advertising space? 

In order for any type of solution to come to fruition in regards to climate changes, energy costs, the whole "Cap-and-Trade" issue, etc...., we need to leave the divisiveness out of the language.  This is this starting point to any path toward common ground and answers to the problems we face.  Stop thinking in terms of Republican/Democrat.  He said/She said.  Green sells, even if it's just a white lie. Get to the truth.  Get to the facts.  Stop using the environment as a weapon.  See it as a gift to be treasured and treated with care.

And no, I'm not getting off my soap box anytime soon!

Comments

[True Religion Outlet]

Times and Roku is what thye ARE NOT doing by keeping old business models while inventing new ones. Sort of one hand not knowing what the other is doing. Roku rolls out new platforms but hasn't tackled the key question of selling more boxes. You need one for each TV. Why not discount multiple orders for people with more than one TV? Financial Times wants to make online access free or pay depending upon the frequency of use, but it continues to charge customers TWO fees if the customer subscribes to print AND wants an subscription online as well. Do the people in office A ever talk to the people in office B