Maybe It Is Easy Being Green, After All?

Whenever a question that challenges the notion of idealism is posed, a typical response often begins with the popular precursory phrase, “in a perfect world...”. This could be an indication that despite any doubt or cynicism the human race has picked up along the way on our journey through time and space, we still have a picture in our collective minds of an ultimate habitation: an environment of endless freedom, happiness, beauty and health. Arguably, the Earth, in all its imperfections, contains the potential for this. And with the consumer world’s interest in eco-positive products growing exponentially in the last several years, it could be that the world at large is beginning to notice.

To even attempt to begin on the noble endeavor of appreciating our planet, the first technique that indubitably must be employed is change. One of the greatest modern thinkers our time, Jeri Blank, once said, “I’ve changed. People change. I’m not the same Jeri Blank who informed on those blind orphans." This is the perfect example of how compassion shines through when we start to think outside of ourselves and make changes. While blind orphans certainly are an issue not to be ignored, more fundamental to the topic at hand would be that of the environment. Concerning that, one of the more common buzz phrases heard recently is “going green." This is an all-encompassing statement which declares that an individual changes many or all aspects of his or her daily life so that it is aligned with and improves the nature that surrounds them. Some critics have labeled this a fad. Its proponents argue that it is a way of life. Whether it is a mass cultural movement or just another fashionable frenzy, most would probably agree with the age old adage, “It can’t hurt."

Environmentalism isn’t a concept so new and undiscovered. Many early civilizations revered the Earth itself as a goddess - where the term “Mother Nature” was derived from. Henry David Thoreau wrote his famous personal account of the human-nature connection Walden over a century ago. Mahatma Gandhi preached pro-ecological sentiments long before it was ever even imagined that our good land could ever become tarnished. The idea has always been around. It’s been transformed between the personal and the political and back again many times, but it still exists.

Considering certain visible statistics of late, it’s difficult to not want to go green. One such example is quite literally just pure garbage. According to the United Nations Statistics Division, the U.S. alone collected 222,863 metric tons (equal to approximately 491,412,915 pounds) of municipal waste in 2005. A little over half of that waste was landfilled. Less than a quarter of it was recycled. And even less than that, about 8%, was composted. Imagine over half of one nation’s garbage just sitting out there, rotting. Suddenly the term “green” sounds very refreshing, and viable. While our garbage lay filthy, stagnant, and filling up land more and more each day, Brazil’s lush forestry is on a rapid depletion. The country’s forest area makes for the world’s second largest (next to the Russian Federation). 60% of this is the Amazon Rainforest. Starting from around 1970 to 2006, 17.1% of Brazil’s portion of the rainforests has been erased due to deforestation. This may not seem like a massive amount, but considering how long it took to grow vs. how quickly it was able to be erased, some might consider it tragic.

The preceding examples were only two in a handful of reasons why much of the world are starting to raise awareness and “make that change” as International Pop Weirdo Superstar Michael Jackson whisperingly implored us to do in his 1988 number-one hit Man in Mirror. Weird as he may be, I’m afraid he has a point. So let’s make that change, shall we? The following are seven steps to the road becoming the good kind of green.

Step 1: Make a vow to have a part in helping to improve the earth.
It could be unspoken or written. Make it known to the world with pride, or keep it hidden with magnanimous fortitude. In any event, just thinking about making a change is usually the most effective impetus to results. Tiny Revolutionary (tinyrevolutionary.com), a producer of baby clothing with a conscience, keeps a mantra of “All change begins small." Adopt this mantra and start your own tiny revolution.

Step 2: Keep it simple.
It’s not a very difficult equation. Consuming less saves. It saves money, energy and resources. At the same time, consider buying items used on a frequent basis in bulk. This cuts down on packaging and materials, and in the long run keeps your bankroll “green” as well.

Step 3: Reduce, reuse, and recycle.
Sometimes referred to as “the 3 R’s," this has become somewhat of a clichéd term in the last 20 years. However, it’s not lost any meaning since then. If you haven’t already been set up to do so, check to see if your local waste management department offers curbside recycling. If they don’t, many different types of businesses in your neighborhood such as farmer’s markets and health food stores most likely do. The internet is a wonderful way to locate these places. And don’t stop at home. Be an eco-purveyor in your office or workplace and set up a recycling regimen.

Step 4: Bring it full circle.
Recycling makes an incredibly huge impact, but what really completes the process of recycling is to buy or support other products that have been recycled. Consider buying products that have been packaged in post consumer recycled materials. Going further, the items you purchase themselves have the potential to be eco-friendly. Words found on a green product like "natural," “sustainable,” “organic,” “renewable,” “fair trade,” and “biodegradable” all denote that the intrinsic nature of the item is generally good for the environment and/or your own body. Educate thyself, oh glorious student of green-ness.

Step 5: Fight for a cause.
In 2003, the American rock band and eco-warriors Pearl Jam joined forces with Conservation International to determine the amount of carbon emissions used for all facets of their interaction with the Earth while on tour. This included their use of travel through buses and airplanes, their stay at hotel rooms, and their occupancy of concert venues that they performed. They even estimated their fans usage from travel to and from gigs. Once the emission total was calculated (5700 tons of CO2), they then created and began managing a new protected area of rainforest in Madagascar. That is no small feat, and we may not be Pearl Jam, but finding your own environmentally related cause and supporting it is close enough. Determine what you are most passionate about and what you think you could do the most good for. If you can donate money, that’s great, but not completely necessary. There are a multitude of non-profits and environmental organizations that need volunteer help out there.

Step 6: Spread the word.
One person alone shouldn’t have to bear the entire responsibility of cleaning up messes from here to the exosphere. There’s no need to broadcast it from a radio tower, but even the tiniest amount of public awareness can spread massively. Saying nothing at all will suffice though, as it will be your own actions that prove to be the most infectious method of communicating the importance of an eco-conscious lifestyle.

Step 7: Go your own way.
There is much for each of us to learn from that journey that Henry David Thoreau endeavored so many years ago. However, that journey was personal. The preceding steps were just a few suggestions. There are so many different “pieces to the puzzle” that must be found, and certainly there are many more aspects to it that deserve attention. Perhaps your sights are set to spotlight Ecology on a political horizon. Maybe you’d prefer to contribute but not definitively get involved as a key player on the forefront of Environmental Awareness. In any case, the power to make a change is in your hands.


-Mike Klimis