Comments on: Emergency Meeting: Where Is The Environmental Movement Going?

By: Pete Young

Pete Young — Mon, 30 May 2011 19:05:27 +0000

This article raises some very valuable points. We were forced to close our doors at our organic/fair trade shop due to the fact that both Wal-Mart and Superstore both began selling “organic” clothing just after we opened for a price we could not compete at. We loved running our store and our customers loved the way we ran it. We knew their names, sizes and styles and made our best attempt to make sure everyone left 110% satisfied. We believe that these are all qualities you will not get at a big box store. However, a way we did find to compete is to go virtual. We have since opened an on-line store front that opperates off a drop ship platform (http://www.PurNaturalHomeFashions.com) and this allows us to sell our products at the lowest possible price the manufacturer will allow, matching big box stores (if they carry that product) in price. The items do tend to still cost a bit more, but we have found that the quality of these items makes up for the lact of longevity you would find in an inferior product (less replacment = less overall cost and more overall efficeincy).
We believe that the cause outweighs the profit margin and that if we aren’t ecologically smart about how we live, our ecology will not let our economy survive. Our economy exploits nature too much and eventually we will remove that keystone from the framework and it will all collapse, if it hasn’t started to already.

By: Sabrina Ahmed

Sabrina Ahmed — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 05:20:52 +0000

I think it is very important for those of us choosing to live the Green lifestyle to stay on top of news, events and ideas… and to share resources within our community. The exchange of ideas and tips is what encourages us to increase the efforts we are making on an individual basis to conserve the world’s resources. Having said that, http://greeneutopia.com is a site that is making great strides in presenting up to date information and ideas on everything Green! Along with their vast amount of information they also have a really neat online store that carries tons of eco friendly and recycled material products at great prices. It’s saved me quite a bit of money! I hope you enjoy the site as much as I have!

http://greeneutopia.com
Good Luck on your Green Journey!
-Sabrina

By: DarylOster

DarylOster — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 17:32:42 +0000

Good points RemyC! Mia is correct green is usually too expensive (or seen as too expensive); that is a reason much of the green is going away. Another reason as you point out is that much of the green was really not green, but “green washing”. This false green is a bubble that is on the verge of collapse, and could take the true green with it.

IMO, green is all about efficiency — doing much more with much less. Alternative energy sources are NOT green if they enable gross waste to continue, or screw up the environment in new ways (do we really want to see nothing but wind mills on every ridge line in the world???). IMO, Hydro-Electric (HE) power is MUCH preferred to wind power. HE is much lower cost, most people like to look at lakes (witness the fact that waterfront property on man made lakes is more than double the cost). Dams also provide irrigation and flood control — each is reason to build a dam (yet many mis-informed psudo-green proponents insist on taking dams out!!).

It is psudo-green to promote electric cars and trains that need JUST AS MUCH ENERGY (the energy is just delivered in a different form). Most electric power in the US comes from burning coal (or nuke), and this produces much more CONCENTRATED pollution than gasoline or diesel powered transportation (remember the solution to pollution is dilution). If all transportation were to be switched over to electric cars and trains, it would more than triple the demand for electricity, (and our grid is already on the verge of collapse). The only way to supply the increased demand would be to put wind turbines on every thing and every hill in the country, AND build thousands of new “clean” coal and /or nuke plants. (see http://www.et3.com and http://www.et3.net for a way around this).

My main point is that Mia is right, psudo-green costs too much, we cannot ignore VALUE is the key. “Green” technologies must COST LESS, and do more — MUCH more if they are to be able to displace the status quo. Many so called green technologies cost much more, and do much less, this is false green, this is green destined to collapse. Return On Investment (ROI) is the measure of green that MUST is always enforced by the market in the long term, The green of money is just as important as environmental concerns.

By: RemyC

RemyC — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 01:40:11 +0000

Hi Mia, yes Green Malls or city centers would be great… It would be wonderful to see a lot of small green brands huddle into larger coop spaces, reduce overhead, and prices. This is slowly starting to happen with urban ecology, as certain sections of towns and cities are growing into green communities, with stores, restaurants, forming green business neighborhood associations.

By: NadineAlexis

NadineAlexis — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 22:28:09 +0000

I have been wondering and worried about this too! How can some of the early green innovators be closing? One fundamental thing we have to change is that ironically healthy green products sometimes cost more than toxic ones. It should be the opposite. It should cost much more to destroy people and the planet than to save them. The planet’s currency is solar energy, but modern society’s currency is money (for now). Increasing volume is slowly helping, but we have to realign fundamentally the financial incentives to deliver the outcome that we want – a long-lasting regenerative planet for everyone.

By: Mia

Mia — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:36:43 +0000

I liked your message, but to go green is too expensive for the majority of us. I saw a tee from one of those green stores they wanted $52.00 for a cotton long sleeve tee. I don’t know about you but that is alot for a so called recycled article. Then I saw that tee in TJ Maxx at $10.00. I don’t have to mention what I did so I wont. Purhaps if all the small green stores get together as one and keep the focus and cut the expense of being an individual store they could make it. I would love to be more green but it’s taking too much of my green if you know what I mean. One Love

By: Anna Gilkerson

Anna Gilkerson — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:14:41 +0000

wow- well written- depressing but realistic. I wish I had the answer. Except I do not think there is one answer and what you said about balance? there will always be good and evil no matter what. I guess the best thing is to focus on our own personal path to a better world and not selling out to the big man in the suit.

By: Marissa Feinberg

Marissa Feinberg — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 20:39:16 +0000

Great post, Remy!

By: ECC

ECC — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 03:22:50 +0000

I think that there was too much focus on the “green trend” part and like all trends they come and go.. I think we all need a major shift in mindset to remember that it’s not a trend but a necessity to treat our planet and one another with respect and to be mindful of how we live.