Consider the Cost of Going Green
One thing that I have discussed a lot with friends and family is the cost of going green. Many people have a problem with making a full switchover because the cost of organic goods is much too high (not enough supply and demand) or because it is not easy enough to purchase items or services to maintain the lifestyle.
I do want to put out a warning out there: Watch out - going green can be expensive.
Now I know what everyone is thinking which is “Why on Earth would an Eco-fan warn people against being good to the environment?” when in fact this really isn’t what I am saying at all.
Green is now a trend. The last 2 years have seen a massive boom in the industry and as such there are people out there trying to capitalize on this trend as with everything else on the planet. When you are making purchases, ensure what you are buying is
- Needed. Don’t just buy a handbag because it is made of hemp. Part of going green is only using what you need and even if it’s an eco-friendly purchase if you don’t need it don’t buy it.
- Going to a Real-Green company. Many companies have an arm or branch division that makes friendly products. But if you look at the rest of their product line you find 99% of what they manufacture is bad for the environment.
- Will actually help in some way. For example a great purchase is switching from a Hummer to a Moped for you 8 mile commute. Buying 12 individual bottled water because the new packaging uses 30% less plastic, instead of using a tap filter… not so smart.
These are just some common sense tips and it’s sort of difficult to expand too much without sounding exceptionally boring. Just consider what you are buying and using and ensure you aren’t overspending just for the sake of being trendy and green. Having to eat ramen for a year because you just installed solar panels on your roof is a noble thing to do, albeit stupid because sure you saved the Earth a small headache but you’re now killing yourself.
Any more thoughts on this? I’d love to hear them!
