Why is everything associated with a "organic" foods or "green" living so expensive?

Question

Why is it so expensive to live organic and green? Where food is concerned, organic products are much more expensive than non-organic products. I just read an article that Honda has introduced a vehicle that is similar to the Civic and runs basically on water. Yet a 3 year lease of the vechicle costs $600 per month. I know that the technology that allows a vehicle to run on water is not at all new. So why is green living so expensive? At a time when our planet really needs to use alternative fuel sources, the overwhelming majority of people cannot begin to consider a change because our economy is in such bad condition. How is someone that is just getting by supposed to get on this bandwagon?

Answer 1

Move to the country, and live on a farm. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.

Answer 2

I know your getting answer that seem to veer off your question, and just like some of these folks, I think there is nothing wrong with this world. Yes we should cut back on somethings, but I don't think our air and water is at risk. I believe the world is going to change, no matter what we do. We "the earth" will disappear into the SUN soon. We get closer and closer to the SUN, and that is why the icecaps are melting, hotter summers, and so on. Earth Day has been around for over 20 years. You would think, something would have better this planet by now.

Answer 3

I never buy anything organic, not since I found out that they can use up to SIX different chemicals on the food stuffs and STILL call it organic!

I agree that a vehicle that runs on water should be so much cheaper, I am sure we are all being conned somewhere.

The planet is not my concern but being ripped off is!

The Bible tells us that heaven and earth will pass away, but the words of God will never pass away.

So why should I concern myself with something that is going to pass away anyway!

Answer 4

It takes more land and resources to grow organic.  It is good in one way but bad in another.

These numbers are just for representation.  Lets say it takes 1 acre to produce 100 ears of corn when you don't grow organically.  If you grow organically it will take much more land because the crop won't grow as big, (for the same $), you can loose some to pests, and you will need more land (clearing and cutting down more trees).

It simply costs more so you have to pay more.

In the case of the car, until it is mass produced it price will be high.

Answer 5

Its a Government conspiracy to scare us into thinking global warming will destroy us, then they will frighten us into using much more expensive organic foods to get more money from us. How can you prove that anything happening is due to global warming? Global Warming is only happening because they tell us it is. Its like going to your doctor complaining of foot ache, and the doctor says its only hyper-extension of the ligaments rest it and it will be fine!! we believe him/her because they are a doctor and of higher authority than ourselves, but what happens if your foot needs amputating a day after the visit? Just because someone of higher authority told us a certain thing is happening doesn't mean its so..

Answer 6

Let me start off by saying we (my family and I) live completely, 100% “off of the grid and are completely self sufficient”

The house is built utilizing natures natural elements, in the shape of an octagon with 8ft wide arch doors on every wall to catch every angle of wind (typical 4 sided homes have half the chance as one with 8 sides. A circle being the most efficient design). Woodburning stoves, solar chimney, solar AC, solar heating, solar water heating (pool and home), solar stove, solar power, wind power, hydrogen powered back up generator, hydrogen back up water heater, hydrogen stove, 2 hydrogen powered trucks, 1 EV (electric vehicle) and satellite internet.

We also built many green small cabins on the ranch that we offer to family, friends and our on-site off-grid workshop guests, including one straw bale, one papercrete, earth bag and adobe, one cob and cordwood, one underground and rammed earth, one log and post and beam and one rock. Each one actually started as a test for what the main house would be and were later finished and turned into guest cabins. I later wrote a guide on how to build with alternative materials using alternative methods for next to nothing.

We raise meat and milk goats, chickens for meat and eggs, ducks for meat and eggs, trap havilina (wild boar pig), rabbit, quail. brew our own beer from home grown products, preserve our fruits, vegetables, etc. smoke and jerky the meat, make our own soap, cheese.

There are no utility lines, no water lines, no roads, tv, cell service, etc. on our ranch. EVERYTHING needed is produced here. All electricity comes from 27 solar panels, 2 main wind gens and a back hydrogen generator if needed (typically we can last 9 days with all luxuries of sunless windless weather, hasn't happened yet). Water is caught and storaged from the rain. Hot water is made with solar batch water heaters with an on-demand hydrogen hot water heater as backup. Even our vehicles use alternative energy (2 hydrogen trucks, 1 EV electric vehicle converted). Because of this we have no bills, no debt and no mortgage.

Anyone interested can check it out at..

www agua-luna com

I believe this is the first step anyone can make “help the environment”. Once you convert your own life style to a greener more eco friendly route, you can start helping others.

my home has all the comforts listed above plus some. we live very comfortable without effecting the environment. just saying that tol et you know it's possible. you may not want to go as extreme as me and my family but anywhere in between is something.

Without getting to in depth here, Using alternative fuels in your vehicles and harnessing your own electricity from the sun, water, earth and wind are the 2 are key elements in making a green transition and erasing your carbon footprint.

here's a calculator to find out how much of a green impact your making (carbon footprint)

http://www.conservation.org/act/live_gre...

if you'd like to make your next step feel free to contact me personally at www agua-luna com

I've been installing home made Solar panels. Solar stoves, Solar batch and inline hot water heaters. Solar radiant heating. Solar home heating and AC, along with home made wind gens and other alternative energy items for the last 3 years.

You can even make the above projects on site with simple parts from the local hardware stores or auto stores or junk yards. For more info check out some guides I wrote / compiled on how to DIY www agua-luna com

Again these projects can be accomplished anywhere by anyone.

if you absolutely can't do anything in your home at least you can put alternative fuels in your car. most major automotive manufacturers (Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors, etc) recommend the use of bio fuels, and nearly every car manufacturer in the world approves ethanol blends in their warranty coverage.

In fact your probably even driving an ethanol car and didn't even know it.

The trick is finding fuel.

I've been producing biofuel for about 3 years now, it's not extremely difficult. Basically you need general household ingredients, a processor (or still for ethanol) and some used oil. Blend it, let separate, screen and use. I complied a guide a while back to help walk you threw the process step by step, just email me or check out..

www agua-luna com

as for recyling the best way i've found without taking money from your won pocket is to join a free freecycle group in your area or visit the habitat for humanity.

If you’d like help in making your self sufficient steps, feel free to contact me directly. I’ve written several how-to DIY guides available at www agua-luna com

on the subject. I also offer online and on-site workshops, seminars and internships to help others “help the environment”.

Hope this helped, feel free to contact me personally if you have any questions if you’d like assistance in making your first self sufficient steps, I’m willing to walk you step by step threw the process. I’ve written several how-to DIY guides available at  www agua-luna com on the subject. I also offer online and on-site workshops, seminars and internships to help others help the environment.

Dan Martin

Alterative Energy / Sustainable Consultant, Living 100% on Alternative & Author of How One Simple Yet Incredibly Powerful Resource Is Transforming The Lives of Regular People From All Over The World... Instantly Elevating Their Income & Lowering Their Debt, While Saving The Environment by Using FREE ENERGY... All With Just One Click of A Mouse...For more info Visit:  

www AGUA-LUNA com

Stop Global Warming!!!

Answer 7

It isn't.  Yes buying c**p organic food from the store or buying a car that is more environmentally sound maybe..but a car isn't environmentally sound in the first place - the amount of energy and materials used to make the thing makes it environmentally detrimental.

Despite organic food still having chemicals sprayed on it, it is much better for your health than non-organic, but a way to get around the 'expense' is to start growing things for yourself (which will give you confidence and some happiness knowing you can be slightly self sufficient) and source local farmers, which you can get much cheaper crop.  If you grow your own as well, you will get much more from your fruit and veg in terms of minerals/nutrients than if you buy anything in store, where it has been flown over or which has been sprayed to death.

As for cars - well either the environment costs more or you do....or you could try using public transport..although in the states i hear that isnt so good and also have recently discovered public transport isnt as green as first thought.

Another note about cars - second hand may just be as environmentally sound as a new clean-air one - you have to take into consideration the cost of production and not just the fumes the thing emits.  Is a whole new car really better than a second hand car?  Its a difficult question to answer.

Initial costs of an environmentally sound life may seem expensive - i.e. if you wantedyour own renewable energy source or something but really it isnt expensive.  It depends on how many material items you desire too...like i dont have a tv and dont watch one, so ive saved money there to spend a bit more on my veg!

Answer 8

Because first off making organic food costs more money too grow because they dont use pesticides when the crops are growing secondly it costs more money too live green because the mateirals are way better.

Answer 9

the previous answer is only partially true.  Yes Organic food is much more diffucult to get because they can only use natural fertilizers and no pesticides whatso ever, therefor making less of a yield and a higher cost.  As for the electric car your talking abou im sure you read the same article on Yahoo as everyone else.  It does cover matinence and other cost related to the car.  The reason why it is so expensive is because it is very new.  It may be better but this is basically a large beta test of how this technology works at home.  There are only roughly 200 of these cars on the road so if you have a limited supply you can charge whatever you want due to the insane amount of demand for it.  I am not sure if Honda has the technology to mass produce these yet, so these cars could be built one at a time there for increasing cost.  Our economy is in bad condition but hopefully with the up coming election things may change, after all that is what both parties were preaching.

i hope this helps resolve some of the questions you had

Answer 10

I thought the same thing but incorporated green living little by little with small changes...and now it is just a way of life...if people would buy and farmers would farm locally the prices would drop..I found a place that will give you 20 percent off if you order your organic veggies once a week in bulk..your area probably has some place thats like that, ask around do some research..and for easy ideas for converting over to a green lifestyle check out http://www.peaceful-organic-planet.com

Answer 11

Organic commercially grown food is more expensive because it is more labor intensive to grow and harvest.  Non-organic can use the mass produced pesticides and herbicides that are much cheaper.  

The price also has a lot to do with how much the consumer is willing to pay.  The laws of Supply and Demand are such that as long as the demand is low, the supply will be too.  That causes the price to be higher.  When the demand goes up, the manufacturers will produce them in greater numbers to meet the demand, causing the price to go down.  

And relatively speaking, hydrogen engines are much much newer than petroleum combustion engines so the tech is still in "trial mode" and therefore not as reliable to the majority of the population.

Odd, but there ya go.