Why is it so expensive to go green or doing anything that is good for the environment?

Question

Most people can't afford hybrid cars. Most people can't afford to have solar panals installed in their homes. Even if you want to buy an enviromental friendly item at the store they are way more expensive than the other products.

You have to admit, the target market for these campaigns is not for the lower income people and I don't mean people on welfare.

If a family had to chose between spending a few bucks more on items to go green; and getting a non-ecofriendly product that will last them until next payday. I think they will chose the latter. Sure the longterm benefits are great, however they are worried about today.

Answer 1

Solar water heaters are cheap and so are solar cookers, light pipes are also pretty cheap. So it depends on what techonlogy you are trying to use.
Hybrid cars , PV are expensive because they are not being mass produced once so their prices will come down too.

Answer 2

Hopefully the cost of hybrids will come down some as more people buy them. They've really only caught on in the last 5 years, so give it time.

There are lots of ways to be green that don't cost anything extra. You can use vinegar and water to clean with instead of an expensive commercial product, for example. And in some areas there are rebates or incentives to go green, so you can recoup your investment.

That said, I finally had the opportunity to check out a store that opened locally that promotes sustainable living. The owner is a former waitress who tried to green up her employers company, then based on her research decided to strike out on her own. The products I purchased weren't cheap, but I wanted to offer her my support, so will shop there occasionally. Again, if it takes off, and more stores open and follow suit, prices on some of these products can come down.

The link is from her website, and offers tips on going green.

Answer 3

A lot of the problem is that the polluters don't have to pay for the costs of the pollution they put into the environment which makes it cheaper to pollute. Adding a carbon tax would make hybrid cars more affordable relative to non-hybrid cars and non polluting power sources (nuclear, solar, geothermal, etc) cheaper than fossil fuel power.

Will this increase prices, yes it will (that's the point), but if government is worried about the effects of those on low income they can raise the upper tax brackets (or better yet, add new higher ones) to provide subsidies for those on low incomes. I think it a bad idea to use money collected from carbon taxes on another other than reversing or surviving global warming.

Answer 4

The answer here is Melaleuca Inc. You pay a small mebership fee to start up. You purchase 35 prouduct points each month which will end up costing 50-70 dollars a month and you SWITCH all your household products to awesome concentrated eco-friendly products. I use to go through 1 giant box of Tide laundry detergent each month. Talk about pollution! Now my laundry soap is green and I buy 1 big jug every 2 months I'm actually saving money and the environment.

Answer 5

it is so expensive because the alternative is too cheap.
people can afford a hybrid car, for an extra 5000 US$, if it saves them 100 US$ a month, but not if it saves them 20 US$.
people can afford a 3000 US$ wind turbine for home use, if it saves them 80 US$ a month but not if it only saves 20 $.
these numbers are real. and the amount saved depends on the price of fuel and electricity we pay.
the funny thing is, once people find these alternatives attractive, their cost will start to drop, making them more and more attractive, and that is why the producers of fossil fuels fight those innovations.

Answer 6

It's not always that bad. The capital investment is often high but the payback can be rapid. I figured about three years to make back the cost of my ULF toilet (lower water and sewage bills) and about the same for an efficient wood stove. The stove burns mostly wood that landscapers drop off for me, saving them money too. Not only did I quickly pay off the cost of the stove and installation, I paid for the first two chain saws with my lower heat bills, less the cost of electricity and gasoline).
And what's so expensive about a clothesline, compared to a gas or electric dryer?

Answer 7

The only reason all these new energy sources are expensive is because we have been dependent on oil as our main source of energy for a hundred some odd years. Technology using that oil has evolved, gotten cheaper and more efficient while things like solar energy and electric cars have been merely toyed with in comparison to oil.

Answer 8

some things you can do are cheap and some things you can do are free.. and some things are cheap and will save you money...

plant a garden - this is cheap and saves you money.. grow your own lettuce, tomatoes..etc.. this saves the planet because they dont have to ship the food to the stores if you grow your own.. PLUS if you dont use pesticides they are healthier.. (fruit trees are more $ but are good also)

main thing you can do.. is have ONLY 1 kid.. each new life is a burden our planet doesnt need.. having 2 kids is increasing our population becuase we are not dying as young as we used to so 2 kids is bad... stop at 1 or have none at all..

dont consume as much.. how many pairs of shoes do you really need? etc..

its little things that add up... if you save enough money doing these little things you can afford the car etc.

Answer 9

You can do really simple things to help the environment that don't cost any money at all. Use less water, unplug phone chargers and computers when they are not in use. Don't turn on lights unless you really really need them, walk or bike more places, take shorter showers, watch less tv, handwash dishes so you don't use so much dishwasher water.

Answer 10

Not true, the initial cost is more expensive, but the long term benefits and savings are faaabewwlusss.