I think I know why going green is so hard for everyone... it isn't that we don't care about our environment

Question

it is just that everyone is trying to make money off the idea of going green. Ie. organic vegetables are more expensive. We are not making enough cars that are fuel efficient. With all the technology that we have today, it is hard for me to believe that we can't create some sort of filter to convert the toxins into clean air when being admitted into the atmosphere. We could definitely recycle more, or how about we just start with a product that can be re-used from the get-go instead of all of these throw aways that eventually get re-made into something else? Just an idea... Your thoughts?

Answer 1

i completely agree.

if people dont start doing something about this we are going to be in for a rude awakening sooner than we think..

Answer 2

going green is expensive for the most part. all the new products are expensive and even the cars are

Answer 3

A large part of the problem is that manufacturers have started  making everything disposable.  Things used to be made to last.  My microwave broke and I was told it was cheaper to dump the old one and buy a new one.  Same with TVs, etc.  I definitely agree, we need to make products that last longer or that can be reused.

Answer 4

Oh, please! You guys can't be so naive and generalize 'all green products are more expensive'!

Have you considered that in the long run, the so-called cheaper, non organic, non green products cause irreversible damage to the environment and THAT'S much more expensive?

Have you put a price tag on all the species that are extinct forever, all the forests that will never come back and the low quality of life we have because of pollution??

How about your medical bills when you or your family members develop respiratory diseases, allergies, cancer, and a series of other illnesses caused by greedy companies that produce cheap stuff filled with harmful chemicals?

Trust me, there are millions of ways to go green, if you're not lazy, and still save a buck.

Answer 5

I see your point and agree with you however, I want to believe that there are entire industries that can crop up around renewable energy and organic stuff.

Maybe if these things were more widely implemented, prices would fall...

Answer 6

"going green" isn't about buying new "green" products. buy less, use less, WANT less...we only need a fraction of what we're told we need. and our  insatiable WANTING will only stop once we recognize it for what it is.

Answer 7

Great quest.  I'm going to star it.

Anyway...  many people seem too busy to care.  

My 30 something neighbors have three of the largest trash cans.  They can't close the lids on any of them on trash day.  There is only 3 of them and one is only about 4 yrs. old.

When I grew up in the 60's, 70's  we had one basic trash can and it wasn't filled by the end of the week.There were 5 of us. Whose fault is that ?

That creation of toxins into fresh air.  They have to watch what they burn.  Toxins come from people who throw the wrong things into the wrong garbage container.  Batteries, old computers and cell phones etc. cannot be burned or even buried in the ground.  Even most wrapping paper creates bad pollutants.  Fires in the fire place are a no-no in Boulder, Colorado where  they are very environmentally conscious.  Can't even burn leaves most places anymore.

So the bottom line is the people.  We can do better if we set our minds to it.  I have my own special shopping bags.  I don't buy a lot of "stuff".  If I wanted to I could just put out my garbage cans once every 3 weeks.  There are 3 of us.

Answer 8

i agree with you 100% well said my friend

Answer 9

If there wasn't an incentive for a business man to create a green product, then why should he do it? It's not that it's not working because people are trying to make money off of it, it's because it's a new industry, and the demand has to grow. We also have a government that believes it can control the market and politicians who have friends that wouldn't be so fat and happy if things changed too quickly.

Answer 10

I just think we are set in our ways and too lazy to do the work needed to save the world. I even catch myself leaving lights on all night because I may have to get up for a drink of water.

Answer 11

I agree with you . No one wants to change their lifestyles and yet save the environment.. Isnt it a time tested lesson that you dont get the good things without sacrfices. We need to be aware.. that we really DONT need to have the biggest car or the biggest house.. Most people around the world live in less than 1000sqft/family dwellings. We dont need to have 1 acre lots with acres of green sparkling grass around us.. we have become vain and still want to be so ... We buy things that we dont need. .. I am glag our generation is waking up to how the rest of the world lives and what our choices have gotten us into.

Some of the nice sites like www.greenlineindex.com now are purley dedicated to green businesses.. A thought that would have gone no where some time back. I think our first step shoul;d be recycle what we have already produced .. and starting now produce only reusable products.. I am an optimist..  I know we will solve this problemmm

Answer 12

touche... you are correct my friend.

Answer 13

It's not about not caring for the environment, it's about making changes.

Some people can barely change their brand of toothpaste, let alone change their diet to include more fruits and vegetables. "Going green" is too big of a change for them to grasp.

"Going green" is a psychological change. It means actively paying attention to details in life. But it also means having the means to make a change. I live in a neighborhood where for some people getting food and paying rent is higher up on their list of priorities than "going green". Buying "green" products is a nice idea but they can only afford their products at the local dollar store.

What people really do need to see is are the consequences of their actions. There's a new car commercial where a guy picks up another guy's cups of coffee from the convenience store parking lot, glues them together in the form of a tree sculpture, and leaves the sculpture on the dude's car with a note, "You dropped this." What a great way to show the consequences of thoughtless actions! More people need to do the same. When people see how their action or inaction really do affect the environment, then maybe they will be willing to make a thoughtful change.

Answer 14

We have the same minds. hahaha.

Answer 15

You might be on to something here.

I hate that organic stuff is more expensive, but I think it's because the growers can't just spray the crop with pestisides and walk away from it, they have to grow the crop in special conditions and pay more employees to manage it and kepp it from getting infested with bugs and other things.

But if someone came up with the idea to make reusable products, would you say they were just trying to get rich from it?

I think it's great that our country is finally opening thier eyes to this huge threat on our enviroment, and doing whatever we can whenever we can still helps

Answer 16

It is important to remember the 3 R's when going green - reduce, reuse, recycle.  Part of living green is not going to the next trendy store and purchasing an organic, hemp couch for 6,000 dollars.  Part of living green is going to resale shops, and buying the 25 dollar couch there.  Taking the old couch off of your aunt when she decides to get new furniture.  These are a few things that can be done to reuse something that would otherwise go into a landfill.

Unless you can afford that 6,000 dollar couch.  Then have at it.