Doing a Load of Laundry

The greenwashing of American manufacturers has begun. Seems like everyone is green these days. Green builders. Green credit cards. Green handy man (seriously: www.ecohandyman.com). Even the Emmys called themselves "The Green Emmys" for no apparent reason. But what does it all mean?

I spent an hour exploring the Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Fair today looking for an answer. I listened to the publisher of Mothering Magazine talk about the "Top 20 Things to Live More Sustainably" which was a list originally published in GreenGuideToGo.com with killer tips such as "recycle" and "compost". According to the schedule she was supposed to present about raising healthier kids in a sustainable way. By the pacing of the hippie moms with their toddlers in hemp-woven slings, I guess they were expecting something different, as well. I wandered around the expo, meeting vendors from the Fort Collins area and checking out who my fellow sustainable-living folks are.

There were a LOT of Birkenstock sandals, a TON of kids in badly sewn aprons and a big line at the New Belgium beer tent. I didn't see anyone like me, even though every Prius in town must have been in the parking lot.

I was impressed especially by the enormous trailer giving out samples of Annie's Organic Cheddar Bunnies and the rows of alternative building and energy suppliers. There were eco magazines, clothing shops and all sorts of consumer goods. The highlight of the day, though, was the Hydrogen Hummer.

I know that people are going to buy crap. I buy a lot of crap myself. And if you're going to buy something, you might as well make a sustainable choice. I think it's great we have a variety of options available to us when we're ready to make a purchase decision that is good for the environment.

What I'm wondering about is this recent rash of greenwashing taking over the retail world. What does it mean to be "green"?? To me, a green product/service is one that minimizes the impact on the environment. That means it is: reused, recycled, harvested in a sustainable way, doesn't add more crap to the landfill, doesn't pollute or reduces the pollution we put into the environment.

More simply put - living green is just living more simply with common sense. I guess it is easy being green.