Going Green…Without Illusions

Posted by Lisa Chong on Jan 22, 2012 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

These days it seems like “going green” is easier than ever: you can buy “organic” at the gas station!  Organic products seem to be ubiquitous, with major brands succumbing under the pressure, with the wide availability of “certified organic” produce.  Organic choices are not just available at Whole Foods, but seemingly everywhere.

However, when we look closely–when we really let the scales fall from our eyes– it is increasingly apparent that it’s not a time to celebrate quite yet.  I was crestfallen to realize that many organic produce items I buy, though reassuringly labeled “organic,” may have traveled such long distances and utilized so much energy in its journey to get to me, that the item was no longer “sustainable”…by any definition.  There is no way to rationalize the fuel cost, the emissions produced, for organic tomatoes to travel from a small farm in South America, let’s say, to the Whole Grocer in Jackson, Wyoming.

It is disillusioning, to say the least, but it is one of the myriad challenges one must embrace, it seems, if one really (really) wants to make the sincere effort to be “green.”  In the current marketplace, it is easier than ever to live with one’s illusions.  I mean, one can probably buy organic Doritos !

On the other hand, the most well-intended consumer can easily be overwhelmed.  How to discriminate and wisely, and how to live “green” and also within your wallet?  Should I seek out the “green” lightbulbs  for my ceiling fixture?  Should I get these organic kiwi (even though they’re “Made in New Zealand”) ?  It can cause you to feel like going to bed and pulling the covers over your head.

So what’s the middle path?

What do we do? Seriously. Do you know? 

Let us find the golden mean of GREEN together… Share facts, offer support; let’s find solutions that (1) make a difference, and (2) we can live with.