I wrote
a blog yesterday on going green -- ways to help conserve our natural resources. Because of that, I wanted to say a bit about where I'm coming from and why I wrote it.
I am not here to quote a bunch of facts and figures. I think that you can find facts and figures to support just about any position you want. I try to be commonsense about my opinions. And that's all they are -- opinions.
I honestly believe that we need to continue working to conserve our natural resources. I make no claims about when, exactly, those resources will be exhausted. But I think it's only common sense that they will run out sooner or later. Oil, for example, is an exhaustible resource. While I personally do not agree with ruining natural preserves to dig for oil so that some asshole can drive a Hummer, even if you do, how can you dispute that that oil will eventually be exhausted? Just ask the guys down in Texas who were rollin' in it in the 70's and 80's. Trees grow, and we can make more paper from them, but growing trees takes time. All in all, if we can make very small changes in the way we do things, isn't it worth it to slow down our usage of natural resources?
I also do not believe that "going green" has a drastic effect on our economy. I honestly believe that it will not slow the demand of consumers for goods -- simply change the types of goods they demand. Our recent gasoline prices didn't cause people to stop buying cars, but it did cause them to buy different types of cars -- specifically, more fuel-efficient and hybrid cars, and fewer SUVs. That only spurred on car-makers to move more towards hybrids. It didn't mean they had to make fewer cars. If people stop using cheap plastic bags for groceries, they start buying more expensive but reuseable string and canvas bags instead. All in all, going green changes the type of goods requested, but it doesn't change the demand for those goods.
I'm not advocating violent changes here. My little suggestions were small things that not only help conserve natural resources, but also, for the most part, save money. I compost not only because compost is a wonderful natural fertilizer for my garden, but because making my own fertilizer means I don't have to spend money on buying it. Turning off lights in unneeded rooms saves me money on my electrical bills. Double-sided printing or copying means half the amount of paper used, which means half the amount of paper bought.
All in all, I think making small changes, and bringing up our kids to make those small changes, can only changes things for the better. I'm not chaining myself to trees, or wearing hemp clothing here. I'm just a normal average person trying to make my own little contribution, and trying to encourage others to do the same.
