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conserve energy
May 2009 
Still On My Green Tip
Posted on Sep 30th, 2008
by 
Jessica
Jessica
I went on a green rampage last week when I read an article about gel fuel being a new eco-friendly trend. It actually got me to think that there are people who have little idea how to be eco-friendly. In fact, I was doing my research and came across a forum where someone had asked what eco-friendly meant.
Despite what just about everyone seems to think, economically friendly is not the answer although eco-friendly practices are economically friendly!
What I am about to say causes a great deal of arguments, but it's not even that important. It's just that among all the people who pride themselves on being green, they've always thought that eco-friendly meant economically friendly. Whoever started it thought it made sense and obviously many other people did too.
The funny thing is that knowing the actual term is not really that important as long as people are doing the things that are eco-friendly. And yet, that point seems to miss them entirely.
As long as people are recycling paper and conserving energy, it doesn't matter.
As long as people are riding bikes to work and filling their water bottles up at the water fountain...
As long as people are recharging batteries and applying sealant to their windows and doors...
As long as people are refurbishing old furniture and taking their old clothes to Goodwill, it doesn't matter if they know the difference between eco-friendly and economically friendly. Because they both are.
But if you remember how the dinosaurs became extinct, then you remember your science teacher teaching you a very important little term...ecosystem.
"An ecosystem is a natural unit consisting of all plants, animals and micro-organisms in an area functioning together with all of the non-living physical factors of the environment." Wikipedia
Eco-friendly, environmentally friendly or friendly to the ecosystem..."ecosystem friendly."
Keeping balance in the ecosystem keeps everything alive and healthy. When animals become extinct, it is because they can no longer adapt to their environment. Sometimes, that's because they couldn't adapt to evolution. Sometimes it's because a factor of the environment has knocked the rest of the ecosystem off balance. That's not good.
That's why it is important to learn how to be eco-friendly. That's right! It's not just an adjective applied to terms like eco-friendly products. But remember, it doesn't matter if you get it right. It just matters if you're getting green. Read Get Green This Winter.
Argue with me all you want. There are going to be people who strongly and passionately disagree with me. But, you know what? It doesn't matter as long as they are thinking of ways to be green.
Despite what just about everyone seems to think, economically friendly is not the answer although eco-friendly practices are economically friendly!
What I am about to say causes a great deal of arguments, but it's not even that important. It's just that among all the people who pride themselves on being green, they've always thought that eco-friendly meant economically friendly. Whoever started it thought it made sense and obviously many other people did too.
The funny thing is that knowing the actual term is not really that important as long as people are doing the things that are eco-friendly. And yet, that point seems to miss them entirely.
As long as people are recycling paper and conserving energy, it doesn't matter.
As long as people are riding bikes to work and filling their water bottles up at the water fountain...
As long as people are recharging batteries and applying sealant to their windows and doors...
As long as people are refurbishing old furniture and taking their old clothes to Goodwill, it doesn't matter if they know the difference between eco-friendly and economically friendly. Because they both are.
But if you remember how the dinosaurs became extinct, then you remember your science teacher teaching you a very important little term...ecosystem.
"An ecosystem is a natural unit consisting of all plants, animals and micro-organisms in an area functioning together with all of the non-living physical factors of the environment." Wikipedia
Eco-friendly, environmentally friendly or friendly to the ecosystem..."ecosystem friendly."
Keeping balance in the ecosystem keeps everything alive and healthy. When animals become extinct, it is because they can no longer adapt to their environment. Sometimes, that's because they couldn't adapt to evolution. Sometimes it's because a factor of the environment has knocked the rest of the ecosystem off balance. That's not good.
That's why it is important to learn how to be eco-friendly. That's right! It's not just an adjective applied to terms like eco-friendly products. But remember, it doesn't matter if you get it right. It just matters if you're getting green. Read Get Green This Winter.
Argue with me all you want. There are going to be people who strongly and passionately disagree with me. But, you know what? It doesn't matter as long as they are thinking of ways to be green.
Access: PublicTagged with: eco-friendly, environmentally friendly, ecosystem, recycle, conserve energy, green, get green
Hello From Sister Red Hair. I agree whole heartedly that we should pay much more attention to becoming a Green Society. One of the problems is that going green takes effort and planning. It is a life change and too many people are not willing to change. My family is split in half. I have talked a lot of my family into doing more green. There are still so many in my family, excuse the expression, too lazy to change their habits. There are a lot more out there just like them. We need to keep pushing the reasons for going green and pound it into their thick sculls. Some people just need something bad to happen first and then they see the light. When that happens, it is usually too late. Like the idiot light on the dash of your car. By the time it comes on to tell you that there is a problem, you have a huge problem on your hands.
I'm not quite sure what to do with this, but your post reminds me of something I've been thinking about. As it is becoming more popular to “be green,” I worry a little about how trendy certain things are and the repercussions of people taking actions they don't understand. For example, you can buy shirts at Target that say, “Hug a Tree” or some such “green” phrase, but the shirt is still made in some factory far away where the environmental/social/economic restrictions are lower than here in the US. So the veneer is “green” but the product and act of buying it/supporting that company is not. So while I agree with the point you made that the actions are important, even if the people don't fully understand, sometimes people think they are making “greener” choices, but since they don't truly understand the goal, they aren't. And then the trend will fade and people will stop thinking about it. Or since they only interacted with the “green” phenomenon as a trend, they will tire of it and move on. Thanks.