Will Green Save The World?

Do I Hear Green?

I guess green is the new black. Hybrids, ethanol, wind/solar, geo-thermal, carbon footprint are the new buzzwords. Corporate executives and VCs like Shai Agassi and Vinod Khosla are the new champions of green investing. Global corporations including GE, Dell and Walmart are lining up to get branded as green companies. So what is driving this green revolution? Money- of course! CNBC reported that alternative energy investments exceeded $117 billion last year.

Green is good but I fret over the fact that the focus on green at times dilutes the importance of conservation. Conservation is about using less. Lowering or reducing our consumption not only saves us money - it helps save the planet.

Unfortunately - for some of us conservation ends at home. If we believe that green is good and we all have a role to play in helping our environment - then that concept should apply to whatever we influence or touch.

I know I am guilty of having double standards when it comes to conservation at home and elsewhere. The driver at home is cost, expense, frugality or money. There is a direct impact of how much I use and how much money I save. That incentive is missing at work, at the mall, at the restaurant.

What is the driver at work to switch off the lights when I leave? Or use duplex printing or avoid using styrofoam cups or use less plastic shopping bags. The motivation has to be a desire to give back by consuming less - everywhere and anywhere. There is no immediate impact of such gestures but if one believes in green and conservation - one needs to follow through with their intentions.

The green revolution may be a fad or a corporate gimmick but the real question is - how green are you? That response has the potential to change the world.

(Photo courtesy - Google)

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