It Isn’t Easy Being Green

As a child of the 70’s, I have celebrated Earth Day for almost 40 years now and I am amused at the current trend to “GO GREEN.” Everyone has jumped on the bandwagon for having a “green” home, “green” car, “green world” and yet…it is the same thing we have been preaching for 40 years. I am just silly enough to believe that all of a sudden it is the buzz word of the century. It is the new fad for movie stars. It is the favorite word of the day. The newspapers and media are all over going “green”.

Now I hope you don’t misunderstand what I am saying. I am all about energy conservation and the environment. My favorite author, for those who really understand the environment, is Wendell Berry. If you want to understand the world and what it really means to someone committed to the environment then start reading the words of Wendell Berry. I know he is not a famous celebrity but Mr. Berry is serious about the environment and he doesn’t need some electricity-wasting benefit concert using maximum amps and wasteful wattage to make his point. He is the real deal. Wendell Berry makes his point by the way he LIVES his life and through his words.

We don’t need HGTV to tell us how to live “green.” We need common sense and the ability to treat each other and the environment with respect. We need to ask China, Brazil, Australia and India to get serious about pollution. We need to ask our American politicians to do more than play lip service to celebrities and really get serious about the legacy we will leave to our children. I grew up in a three bedroom, one bath house that was probably about 1,700 square feet with no air conditioning in Miami, Florida. We weren’t poor…that was just the standard house of the day.

Why do people now need 4,000 square feet for two people? Why does everyone need a plasma TV per room? Why do celebrities, who REALLY preach the green gospel, have homes that consume more energy than some small cities? It’s all just too hypocritical.

Finally, here are a few simple suggestions that can get you started if you are serious about going “green” and want to make a difference. They come from the Environmental Working Group:

10 Everyday Pollution Solutions

Your Guide to Going Green

1	Use cast iron pans instead of nonstick. Read about Teflon health concerns.
2	To avoid chemicals leaching into food, go easy on processed, canned or fast foods and never microwave plastic. Read about Bisphenol A, a toxic food-can lining ingredient associated with birth defects.
3	Buy organic, or eat vegetables and fruit from the “Cleanest 12” list. Find out more about the “Dirty Dozen.”
4	Use iodized salt to combat chemical interference from the thyroid. Read about rocket fuel’s effect on the thyroid.
5	Seal outdoor wooden structures. Order a test kit to find out if your wooden deck, picnic table, or playset is leaching arsenic.
6	Leave your shoes at the door. This cuts down on dust-bound pollutants in the home.
7	Avoid perfume, cologne and products with added fragrance. Search for personal care products that are fragrance-free, or check the products you’re already using.
8	Buy products with natural fibers, like cotton and wool, that are naturally fire resistant. Use our list of products and manufacturers to avoid the chemical flame retardant PBDE.
9	Eat low-mercury fish like tilapia & pollock, rather than high-mercury choices like tuna & swordfish. Check our Safe Fish List to see which fish to avoid and what’s safe to eat.
10	Filter your water for drinking and cooking. How does your tap water stack up? Search our tap water database to see what you’re drinking.

As for me, the answer lies within all of us. Love thy neighbor and don’t pollute! Like we learned in Girl Scouts…leave the place a little better than you found it and in the immortal words of Louis Armstrong, what a wonderful world that would be”

Cheers, Linda

 PS: I know this is a luxury home blog but sometimes I just like to promote a topic that hopefully will touch all people who claim ownership of this great world in which we live.