Green? Whatever Dude

Have you ever been in a discussion with a friend or acquaintance about the "green" revolution. Your friend is one of those people that thinks it's BS and tells you that these "treehuggers" are idiots and there is no such thing as global warming. I had this experience with a buddy of mine a few months ago (about 6 months ago). I was so taken back by the things that he had to say that I just kept my mouth shut and took it all in. Well, here is my response:

Dude, wake up. Most everyone knows that global warming is happening; is it just the natural life cycle of the earth or is it because of the human races need to burn fossil fuels. I don't know, but let's figure it out.

Yes, there is green washing, but if you do business with a reputable company then there is a pretty good chance that you will not fall victim to that. You spend 2 weeks researching the new t.v. you wanted, what's another 30 mins. of research to make sure the place you are doing business with is a legitimate business.

Drill here, drill now: sure, drill where ever you want to, but lets figure out a better way to do it, burn it, and better yet get to the point when we don't need it. There are better ways to produce energy, more efficient ways to produce energy, lets do it that way.

Yes, there are no perfect products out there, but there are a lot out there that are much better than the others, do some research on the materials that are used, where the are sourced from, how are they are put together, how are they shipped.

The "green" revolution is not a fad, and companies that are producing, selling, and running in a more eco-friendly way are not jumping on the bandwagon, they are researching materials, studying business practices, designing more efficient products. They are creating a better place, living healthier lives, and influencing policy makers to make better decisions. It is being label as "green", but this movement is about being efficient. More efficient in the way materials are manufactured, more efficient in the way we make energy, more efficient in the way that we build, more efficient in transporting goods, more efficient in the way that we consume.

Dude, I don't care if you don't believe in global warming, really I don't. What I do care about is that you realize that this "green" movement is about figuring out how to design, make, produce, consume, and live in a more EFFICIENT way.

So, here is how I plan to help; First, I promise to pressure the companies that I deal with to take the next step, to never settle for good enough, to become more efficient next year than they are this year. Second, I promise that I will continue to design and create products that push the boundaries of sustainable design, to produce a product that you purchase, not based on the green attributes but because it was the exact product that you needed. And lastly, to educate as many people as I can on the subject so that the companies that are green washing are forced to actually be green or to no longer be able to advertise as such.

My hope that in a few years you will be able to walk into a store and pick up anything on the shelf and wouldn't have to ask why its "green", my hope is that it is no longer a question, that everything is "green." But I guess at that point you would be right, at that point, the "green" movement would have been a fad.