Is Modern Society Green or Greenwashed?
For the past 7 years, I have been reading and writing – living and breathing – everything I could about green parenting. And I’ve loved every minute of it. Going green is more than just a slogan for me. It’s the way I do things. It’s the way I wash my hair, feed my kids, make dinner, and and find fun stuff to do as a family. I’m not saying I’m eco-perfect…actually, I’m far from it. But I try, I really do, every day to lighten my family’s impact on the environment. And lately, I have to admit, I’ve been in a slump. I think my eco-batteries need a charge.
You may have noticed that I didn’t post much last week. It wasn’t that I couldn’t think of anything to write about. I’ve got TONS of stuff I want to research and post about. But I just couldn’t get past the overdose of eco-unfriendlieness that has been hitting me in the face as of late. You know what I’m talking about…single serving food products labeled as “eco-friendly” because they come in a slightly smaller throw away package. The neighbor who spends more time dousing their lawn with chemicals than it would to pull the weeds. The parents who allow their cars to idle in the school pickup line for 30 minutes now that the price of gas has come down (the very same parents who were so eco-conscious a few months ago when the price of gas was higher.)
Normally, I just take all of these things with a grain of salt and go about making my day as green as possible. I think I had somehow convinced myself that these things happened…but they were rare. Lately, I’m not so sure.
As a greenie, I tend to surround myself with eco-news and info. The websites on my Google Reader are all green sites, my Twitter followers and Facebook friends, are all (for the most part) fellow-greenies. And I dare say that 90% of the comments I get on this blog are from folks that are trying to go green. It’s easy to believe that we are the majority. That most of the people on this planet are at least making an effort to minimize their impact. But is that really the case? Or am I just living in an eco-bubble? What do you think?
Is modern society going green or is it just greenwashed?
Photo by fotdmike
I definitely think much of what I’ve seen in the last year or two was greenwashing.
The PR spinsters and marketing geniuses have stretched the limits of calling themselves a “green company” far too easily. Hopefully, a some regulatory steps will be implemented to curb the false advertising.
Problem is, most consumers are clueless and that green label slapped on Product X is really all they look for. After all, why would we expect anyone to read the fine print or disbelieve someone who claims to be saving the planet?
Interesting site, but much advertisments on him. Shall read as subscription, rss.
I think overall we are moving to a greener way of life, partly because of the economy, but also for other reasons – global warming, plastic in our oceans, endangered species, learning about toxic chemicals in our consumer products. However, because of this, there is certainly more greenwashing going on as well. Green sells, so manufacturers that aren’t so green are using the catch words. Green is also more popular, so people make green claims. It all gets so frustrating and annoyiing – I totally understand.
I walked into Target the other day and stood with the cleaning section on my right, along with the beauty section, and the office supplies on my left, and was just overwhelmed by the amount of plastic. And then I thought about all the Targets, and Walmarts, and Kmarts and all the other stores, and how we use a product for a second before tossing the plastic bottle – which took thousands and thousands of years to turn into petroleum, to be drilled and refined to make a plastic bottle, to take thousands upon thousand upon thousands of years to break into small pieces, not degrade completely but just to break down, all for a single serving of potato chips. Or a couple of weeks of a cleaning spray. But – it is less packaging than before. Woot!
And I just got depressed.
I so hear you.
I think it is so easy to get sucked into some form of being greenwashed. As I had asked you in regard to the “green bags” here you think you’re doing a good thing and for the sake of argument, you are by reducing the use of throw away plastic bags. But ultimately, you are being greenwashed into buying a non- eco product. This happens in so many ways, it’s hard, even for the educated consumer to figure it all out.
There is def. a lot of greenwashing going on. We are a capitalist country and consumerism is still rampant – even if it is a little bit greener. I wrote a post a few weeks ago about Maslow’s Pyramind and trash. The only people ready to address our pollution problems are people who sit higher on the pyramid. We need to address our poverty situation worldwide before the green message will reach everyone. Then the number of people who care and are in a position to DO something about it will make the necessary changes in their lives. Not to be a downer on the green movement. It is having positive impact. The fact that Oprah brought the Great Garbage Patch to America is a step in the right direction!
I think it’s a little of both. I think the Green movement has come along way in the
last decade, but we are still struggling to get the message out. I really believe
that people only hear what they want to hear and don’t listen to the full extent of
what is happening to our world. When things don’t directly affect you, you aren’t
as willing to change.
My family has been living green for the last 10 years. I find it to be a wonderful
challenge, but also very overwhelming.
Keep up the good work and know you are not alone in the Green Mission!