Shades of GREEN

Scroll down to read feedback from this blog and email me to join in the debate!

Yeah, yeah, we've all heard it before...

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle right? We've heard it a hundred times and have been hearing it for at least the last 20 years (from what I can recall). But notice how we don't even bat an eyelash at it anymore? It's more common to recycle than not. Thrift stores and antique shops seem more hip than ever before. As I am embarking on a new "green-ness", I am a little amazed at not only 1) how easy it can be, but 2) how we've been taking small steps for years, that it hardly seems much more effort. We do a ton of stuff as force of habit that TOTALLY counts!

Check it out...

  • Recycle with your weekly garbage? check, green.
  • Hand down hardly worn kids stuff? check, green.
  • Buy something at a garage sale now and then? check, green.
  • Grow your own tomatoes? check, green.
  • Buy used on eBay or Craigs? check, green.
  • Reuse your grocery bags? check, green.
  • BYO grocery bags? check, green.
  • Turn off your lights when not using them? check, green.
  • Turn off the H2O when not using? check, green.
  • Do kids crafts with the random household garbage? check, green.
  • Buy Washington wines? check, green.

You're green already and didn't even know it.

Shades of Green

Welcome to my discussion post. Some feedback regarding smidgegreener:

"Sure, everyone has a carbon footprint, some larger than others, and if everyone cut back a little we could make a difference. BUT the huge violators are commercial businesses. For example, I think it’s hilarious that people suggest we stop using disposable diapers and switch to something eco-friendly, yet Huggies and Pampers aren’t faulted for making these environment polluting merchandise. I think the government should be going after distributors of diapers, cleaning supplies, light bulbs, etc. and make THEM comply with environment standards. They are the big wigs who could afford to make a change, yet it’s the consumer who is placed the responsibility of “cleaning up the environment”. And since the producers will then try and pass the cost of becoming green on to the consumer, the government should place a cap on inflation of these products so that the consumer doesn’t have to absorb the entire cost. Let’s take a little out of their enormous profit they are making."

"And what’s even more hypocritical is the businessmen who own and run these conglomerates. Their carbon footprint is ENORMOUS. So next we should go after the wealthy like them and basically all of Hollywood in general (who insist on taking private jets to and from location 3 times a week, driving 100k+ vehicles and lighting a 10,000 s.f. home). It sickens me. They expect us peons to come out of pocket even more (in addition to skyrocketing gas and grocery prices) to protect the environment. I say no way! I can’t afford to, with either time or money."

"It’s election year…get ready for some changes!"

"One thing I also think though is that as consumers, the middle-class probably has the largest "voice" in consumerism. That being said, we can make a pretty big impact by choosing what we want to buy and eventually the companies would have to listen. I don't know if you noticed but even Clorox is making green cleaning products, and that has to be a result of following the trend and trying to pursuade buyers to pick them."

"You bring up some great points and yes, I think we are impacting our environment with the pollution which we have been advancing dramatically to clean up and with great success, but China, India, etc. are not nearly as ecologically minded as we are and their pollution impacts us. But global warming is a natural phenomenon and the concept is great for businesses creating new products and services. As you mention, the bottom line is how much will it cost us and are we willing to bear the brunt of that cost and to what degree..."

"I love the recipes for household cleaners..."

Join the debate and send me your feedback! fromONEmom@gmail.com