Monday, May 07, 2007

A whole load of greenwash?

So we've heard all about it - this year, everyone should be green, ethical and environmentally aware. Our 'eco-consciousness' seems to have hit a new height and everyone wants to be seen as being green. Green is the new black and so on... Aren't we all already bored and blase by this? Of course, it's only right that we should become ever more aware of our own environment, we should be thankful for living in what is a relativel clean, healthy, moderate climate and surrounding and need to do what we can to protect it. The fact celebrities and high profile personalities are supporting these issues seems however, to make it verge on the border of a 'fad'. Making something trendy or cool, only dooms it to one day becoming out of trend and out of the public agenda. Although most, including myself, see green issues as here to stay and become engrained in our psyche -in the same way as being organic or vegetarian have- there is always a little corner of my mind which says that maybe something better, cooler, trendier, might turn up, grabbing and diverting the public's attention to this something else. Of course, all genuine and real greenies out there aren't as fickle as trends and will carry on campaigning for all that is green. Thos mere trend folowers (who incidentally, loved the carbon offsetting, conscience clearing, buying the 'I am not a plastic bag' bag - those who simply love buying), may just latch onto a new trend and ditch their compost bin as easily as they bought it. Well, it was smelly and somewhat unpractical wasn't it?
Let's hope this doesn't happen. Although all the bad press carbon offsetts have been getting lately aren't doing the cause any favours. It makes it just too easy to dismiss green issues and switch back to our high carb diet - carbon that is. So I'm all up for ignoring any greenwash paranoia and keep doing my bit to help - and that'll hopefully go beyond my weekly recycling bag...

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