Why aren't people green?

Question

Why aren't people green? If most plants on Earth are green and it obviously make sense to blend in with our surroundings (camoflage), why aren't most animals and people green?

Answer 1

Because we're IRON based, not copper based.

Answer 2

If people were to be the color of their surroundings, they would be a faded black (asphalt) or a muddy sand color (like most buildings).
Also, in case you haven't noticed, about 5/8 of the earth is covered with water; seldom is it green. On land, much is covered by snow, which is white. Out here in the West there is not much greenery, especially with the long-term drought (since 1985 that I know of; did not pay much attention while I was in the Army, going to all those exotic places like Korea and Germany!)
As some one else pointed out, we do not have chlorophyl. Since we have blood and blood carries oxygen, we are a reddish tinge (ALL humans have this reddish tinge which IS noticeable when you can see the faces/hands/other body parts of a MASS of humans). Further, our skin changes color depending upon the weather: 40 below will turn any one a different color; being out in the sun in Tucson working in the hot July sun will turn any one a different color.
Of course, there are other reasons...

Answer 3

Plants are green because they contain chlorophyll, which converts sunlight into food. If people were green, that would mean we also fed from the sun, which would have some advantages, but would mean that, like plants, we would be forced to live a life which uses very little energy, never moving from one place, and certainly never developing complex energy-hogging organs like a brain.

Answer 4

Suppose people have evolved to be green, wouldn't a changing environment handicap them? Climate, environment, grazing would have an effect on the background that we would be trying to blend into.

It would make more sense if we blended with the shade or the ground, or developed markings to break-up our outlines.

Answer 5

We are not plants! We were not meant to blend into our surroundings, but were meant to take care of all of nature around us. We were made in Gods image and I guess he did not look like a plant.

Answer 6

We were not put into this world to hide ourselves behind or under plants, but to be seen by others and to reach out and help one another.

Answer 7

You only need to blend in if you are prey.
We are predators.