Naturalpath

I am one week into my Zipcar experience and for a car-dependent yet socially aware individual trying to be more green, it has been a dream come true. I first heard about Zipcar from a friend who wanted to test drive a prius, not necessarily to become more green but to obtain the clean air sticker to drive in the carpool lane for his commute between San Francisco and San Jose. (sidebar: they have actually run out of the clean air stickers, but the prius is still in demand - check it out here.)

The New York Times came out with an article highlighting the trend to green consumerism. It is a highly charged article representing the full array of voices that are influencing this movement.

When I first read the article, I became a bit defensive on the attack of eco-consumption. But after re-reading it, I got the bigger picture. Terms like greenwashing and light greens are being thrown around in an accusatory manner to those businesses and individuals taking only superficial attempts to go green. Yes, at the end of the day it is about creating macro-level change at the civic and government level, and for those green loyalists who have made this their life’s work, I would be frustrated by the sudden hipness hype of being green. IMHO, we are merely at a tipping point in the world of green. An increased awareness exists and people are finding their sea legs as to which approach makes sense for them. Maybe it is all a façade of PR, but whether driven by fear or genuine compassion, it is still change that is being created. As stated in the article:

John Passacantando, the executive director of Greenpeace USA, argued that green consumerism has been a way for Wal-Mart shoppers to get over the old stereotypes of environmentalists as “tree-hugging hippies” and contribute in their own way.

I respect and appreciate both the keen critical eye of the traditional environmental voice but also the budding entrepreneurial perspective of those mavens pushing the green envelope and bringing the vision of conscious consumerism to a wider audience. But at the end of the day, it is about reduced consumption. Alex Steffan of Worldchanging had a good perspective from the article:

The genuine solution, he and other critics say, is to significantly reduce one’s consumption of goods and resources. It’s not enough to build a vacation home of recycled lumber; the real way to reduce one’s carbon footprint is to only own one home.

I often find myself in debates with others as to whether this recent green hype is just a trend and in my mind the answer is clear – why does it matter? This is not like the latest gadget that is being launched and we are in a “wait and see” mode to judge the efficacy of it and whether to buy it. Why can’t we begin taking steps and working with this heightened awareness to see for ourselves because at the end of the day is about our personal and environmental health. It is about creating a sustainable future. Yes it is about reduction, but fortunate or not, some people will only make changes when forced to. Whether it is about buying a Prius to be able to drive in the HOV/carpool lane or living a no-impact lifestyle, the result is the same, less impact. Perhaps they are not measurable equivalents of reduction, but it is step in the right direction just coming from different perspectives and needs.