Going green - Not only for hippies anymore
So growing up with incredibly cheap parents was infuriating at times. Being a teenager whose mother would not buy anything that wasn’t for sale often meant clothes that were too big or shoes that were as nerdy as they were uncomfortable. I couldn’t understand what made my parents so weird. We had passive solar and used gray water for my mom’s fanatical gardening habits. My sisters and I never got to be home alone after one night my parents came back to the house after dark and EVERY light and TV in the house was on. They were unmoved by our pleas that we were terrified, they were more concerned about the fact that we were hemorraging electricity. My mother never used the dryer - she would use the clothesline in the dead of winter; my sisters and I would compete to see who keep their jeans standing up unassisted for the longest period of time. Towels, scratchy. Who needs exfoliation when you can run sandpaper up and down your arms after a shower?
As with everything they did, I am beginning to appreciate my parents habits and idiosyncracies. I understand why they did what they did. They perfected being able to live with less. So why would they do that? Primarily, they were motivated by money, having little tolerance for spending when they didn’t have to. Secondly, they understood that overindulging ruins the environment. The choices they made were not that difficult, but I know that they made a difference.
So what does this all mean? My biggest concern with the “green” movement is that the marketing had previously been so marginalized. The only people who used to go green were hippies. It was not en vogue to save or use bio-fuel for your vehicle. Within the past 5 years, it has been really incredible to see this issue become much more ubiquitous and applicable to everyone. We’ve seen some really fantastic campaigns that have driven home the idea that being environmentally cautious is not only for people who wear birkenstocks. It doesn’t seem like brain surgery to be able to re-brand the green movement as being about saving money. Everyone wants to save money … The fact that my car (prius) is good for the environment, is just gravy - the decision to buy the car was largely driven by financial implications.
Getting everyone on the Green Train can only benefit the world at large. “Repower America” is doing a fantastic job at making environmental/energy issues relevant to everyone. Check out what they are doing at:
