McBloggy's Blog
Is the push for "eco-friendly" products just another marketing ploy?
Posted by: Katherine McDuffee
Saturday, March 15, 2008 11:05 PM
Now that environmentalism isn't just something for long haired guys smelling of patchouli oil who is it for? Everyone! That's what big business is telling us. Even Clorox has developed their own line of cleaners called Green Works sold at a box store near you.So what? Doesn't this mean the earth is better off? Are companies truly interested in the health of the planet and our families? I doubt it. Companies know a ripe market when they see it and environmentalism is quickly becoming just another marketing niche. Let's take a quick trip to one of our many local box stores.
We go to the groceries and what do we see? Organic foods looking so delicious (shipped in from who knows where at what cost to the environment), but don't our kids deserve chemical free food? We put a couple of pieces of fruit in the cart and then fill the cart with organic pizza and mac and cheese. It's organic so it must be healthy. Don't worry about the packaging buying organic cancels out any bad karma.
Next up, cleaning products. It's like a magic land of amazing "green" products offered by the same trusted companies that have been toxic for years. Oh wait, I mean used for years. Don't get me wrong sometimes I feel the need to as my husband's grandmother would say, "bleach the hell out of it." It's just weird to say, "Hey, we care about the planet," and offer an alternative. Why not just stop making the old stuff? Anyhow, back to shopping. Let's pick up some disposable wipes. They're non-toxic they might fill the landfill but they won't poison anything and they smell like cucumber heaven.
It goes on and on. There are a million products out there that we need. They will make our lives better and hey, we're doing it for the environment. Selfless shopping may just save the world. Or not! In the search for a "greener" lifestyle we've lost our way or at least big business would like us to. With billions of dollars at stake these companies are desperate to make us think the as always consumerism is the answer. It isn't.
A few thoughts on what might help. Reduce as much as you can. Reuse again and again. Recycle always. Shop locally and shop responsibly. It's something I struggle with every day. Trying to find the balance between what's best for my family and what I can do for the environment, but I'm trying. I'm not saying stop buying earth friendly products. I just think we need to look a little harder at what we're buying.
Comments
Global warming is a hoax and companies are trying to capitalize off of it. Remember the population boom of 1968 that scared everyone? How about the O-Zone? Also, take a look around to see who the biggest supporters are of these hoaxes, they are 20 somethings looking for a cause and not yet old enough to remember the last farce the left tried to slam down our throats.
Posted by Kducey on March 19, 2008 at 7:09 AM
I can't fight the conspiracy theories, but I can say this. Why not embrace the reduce, reuse, recycle lifestyle regardless of your views on global warming? If nothing else you will save yourself money and that's never a bad thing.
Posted by McBloggy on March 19, 2008 at 8:57 AM
kducey, I've never really understood people like you who cannot accept scientific research as fact. Why not? And as far as a population boom goes, in the thirty years since 1968, the world's population has nearly doubled. And that is not a hoax; the numbers come from the Census bureau. If you don't see that as a concern, consider the effect on air quality, water and food supplies. And that's without the damaging effect of a very-real global warming condition.
Posted by GoWarriors on March 25, 2008 at 4:23 PM
GoWarriors:
While I agree with the frustration that comes with a denial of something, that to me, seem obviously true. Kducey has a point. The population crisis was a very real fear in the late sixties. Given the numbers they were looking at it seemed very possible that the world would be unable to sustain the population. While yes, there has been a huge increase it isn't anything like what they predicted.
Why not? Birth control didn't factor into their predictions. Countries like Russia are no longer producing at a rate to maintain their current population levels. The crisis has in some ways gone the opposite way. Elderly citizens don't have the support of a young work force and that's something of real concern.
While I can't agree with Kducey's position I certainly see why they feel that way.
Posted by McBloggy on April 1, 2008 at 10:19 AM
GoWarriors, what research are you referring to? For every scientist that supports global warming there is one who deies it. If you want to take that as fact, I've got some land to sell you.
Posted by Kducey on April 3, 2008 at 6:25 AM
