I am not a hippy

I don’t wear Birkenstocks, live in a cabin in the woods and my 3 year old has no dreads. (although these people may have the right idea)

I am a person who lives in a large city and wants to make changes to my family’s lifestyle so my children (and grandchildren) will be able to enjoy the world we live in.
How often must we be hit in the head with a 2x4 to realize we cannot continue on the same path as we are today? Must there be a full-blown global crisis for us to alter our course?

I am not a fear monger.

The people who will create a tipping point with regards to the environment, are those who make their own decisions and discover that not only is it the right thing to do but can and will make economic sense. Watch the growth in the segment of the economy pertaining to sustainable, green products and services in the near future as proof. If you look for the pervasiveness of articles and clips on climate change and the depletion of ancient glaciers you will find them in all types of media. The market will follow but the groundswell will come from individuals making changes, not the large multi-national companies, although we may alter their ways through demand for sustainable, ethically produced goods. 

Wipe from your mind, the clichéd image of tree hugging environmentalist/activist. The new environmentalist won’t have a particular look but simply act by making small changes in daily life. Look at this as an opportunity to seek out positive change not as a struggle to ration the conveniences, amenities and goods that you are accustomed to.

At this point in time, most sustainable products carry with them a price premium, which in many cases, will balance out in the lower cost of the amount of energy consumed. More companies will cash in on the financing of the initial cost of green technologies. Lenders are beginning to catch on. Let them do so. They will push the changes forward partly because they see another opportunity to make money. Let them say they’re doing it for the good of the earth.

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