Fighting Through the Green Static

Posted by Chad on July 31, 2008 under green | Read the First Comment

With so many green products and conflicting green marketing schemes, how does an environmentally conscious consumer really know if they’re doing the right thing? The New York Times recently brought this issue to the forefront in their article “The Era of Green Static“.

“Two years after ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ helped unleash a new tide of environmental activism, green noise pulses through the collective consciousness from all directions. The news media issues dire reports about disappearing polar bears; Web sites feature Brad Pitt arriving at a movie premiere in his hydrogen-powered BMW; bookstore shelves are piled high with titles like ‘50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth’; shops carry hemp-enriched shampoo and 100-percent organic cotton tampons.

An environmentally conscientious consumer is left to wonder: are low-energy compact fluorescent bulbs better than standard incandescents, even if they contain traces of mercury? Which salad is more earth-friendly, the one made with organic mixed greens trucked from thousands of miles away, or the one with lettuce raised on nearby industrial farms? Should they support nuclear power as a clean alternative to coal?”

Beyond that - there are many more factors that come into play. What local organic farm has a better recycling program? Which efficient light company turns their own lights out every time they leave the office? Read more of this article »