Permaculture: Can we 'buy' ourselves green?

Question

Are people missing the point about the green message? Instead of cutting down our own consumption people seem more concerned about buying themselves green. Buy MORE recycled products. Buy new dual flush toilet cisterns replacing perfectly good ones, when the could put a brick in the cistern? Buying solar panels and wind turbines instead of insulating lofts, filling gaps and putting on a jumper etc. Can we 'buy' ourselves green?

Answer 1

What a great Q.

Certainly with daily reports of environmental changes (Which are FACT) the global consciousness is already, inherently, "BUY" crazy, and hyping GREEN, while the context is valid; the premise for the hype is to feed into any fears, doubts, general confusion.
With no offense meant at all, I just received a "GREEN" sack, from this org. While I totally agree about its merit, as opposed to "Paper or Plastic" today? I have to chuckle in that any given grocery market trip, might need a dozen such bags. The alternative to that, which is completely ludicrous, might be to make 12 trips to the grocery store?

The methodology behind the selling Green, and the consumer buying Green is probably flawed, and obviously not a NOT FOR PROFIT venture. Our species is largely to blame, or perhaps the cause of our current situations, but we are also a society, in large measure, that uses, even inhales technology, as it expands exponentialy.

I grew up on a farm in the mid 20th Century, and we had few "conveniences". Admittedly I might find it difficult to go back to those days, in the use of outdoor plumbing, etc., but one can't know what steps work best, until they try.

Just a brief aside, and then a Congrats, for making the point.

Recycling; while seeming the moral, ethical, salvation thing to do, is extremely expensive in cost to operate a "plant" and then reprocess those items back into useable goods and services. Certainly it doesn't seem so to a home owner, taking out a couple of bright colored bins once a week, and in effect we rationalize OUR recycling efforts as saving the planet.

Steven Wolf

Answer 2

There's nothing wrong with becoming energy self-sufficiency; purchasing solar panels and wind turbines. I live on an acreage and would if I could afford the initial investment.

But I also understand what you are saying; there are easy and inexpensive ways to lessen our "carbon footprint" by simply using common sense. And in some ways, if everyone simply altered their lifestyles ever so slightly, energy consumption could be drastically reduced.

However, being comprised of 98 per cent water, the human being tends to behave like the compound and seeks the path of least resistance. It is much easier to buy solar panels than go around the household unplugging every unnecessary appliance which isn't currently being used.

Answer 3

The answer to your question is a definate no!.As long as there are gready people and large corps.who buy are politicans and leaders of this country and contribute large sums of money made off polluting.Then i guess all we can do is keep recycleing and useing products that does not add to the already giant proplem.

Answer 4

Ask "large al", he owns the co. and will gladly take your money.