Some More Comments On Going Green

Whenever I write something about “going green”, like in my previous post, I almost universally get two different responses from people. Either they basically agree and have some more eco friendly tips and tricks of their own to contribute or they say something like: “Yes, I guess you are basically right but I can’t afford to do it – especially not in this economic climate”.

I certainly understand that your personal finances dictate what environmentally friendly changes can actually be accomplished when it comes to things like buying a new car or drastically remodeling your home.

But what I find odd is that I seem to always get this response even when I write an article in which 4 out of 5 of my suggestions will actually save you money. It is as if though some people follow the rationale that if they can’t go all out and be 100% eco friendly they might as well not go green at all.

This is a typical example of the “declaring yourself powerless” routine I was getting at in my last post.

I can’t help but compare this line of thought to someone who is occasionally trying to follow a healthy diet but in a moment of weakness eat that pizza slice anyway – and “as they dropped the ball anyway” they use that as an excuse for also devouring a super size bag of potato chips and a carton of premium ice cream.

Regardless if you are going green or dieting that kind of behavior is not going to yield any positive results.

It goes without saying that meeting the global goals for reduced carbon dioxide emissions is going to cost a lot of money. This is evident in the struggle to reach any kind of international agreement on the matter.

But as an individual you can do lots of things that will not cost you anything more than a bit of extra awareness. Sometimes you can make a positive difference merely by making better bad choices.

When it comes to the bigger and more expensive choices one would of course hope that governments worldwide do their part to encourage green alternatives through various tax cuts and financial aides.