apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Max, I agree with your comment earlier today about the article. Going Green its the revolution of the 21 century. But I think it is the hardest in the US where the consumerism is soo strong and waistful at times. And I don't think it will change a lot in the next 30 years (in our lifetime) but if it goes down a bit it might benefit the children of tomorrow. There was an interesting article on Time Magazine a few months ago, Follow that Apple, where the author (name escapes) went on a test to eat ONLY locally and ONLY in season, so no exotic fruits in winter... It sounded like a challenge to me as well, but if we live with that as a motto, we might get somewhere. I think we should all strive to be as low impact on the earth as possible. But what do you say to the family next door to you that owns 5 cars, or the neighbours that cut trees and don't replace them...

Well, of course reducing consumption is the most green thing to do, but when people are going to consume anyway, shouldn't they try to at least make the greenest choice? Organic raspberries from Chile are still greener than conventional raspberries from Chile.

People will laugh at someone who orders a Big Mac and Diet Coke, but it makes perfect sense. Should that person add insult to injury by drinking a giant cup of sugar? The "in for a penny, in for a pound" mentality is what doesn't make sense.

Low impact means less. Less is not most people's idea of pleasure or a good time, and any substantial numbers of people practicing it would devastate our economy. The major problem is that we are nearly out of time before carbon levels reach a tipping point. Changing in thirty years isn't going to anyone's children any good.

Good point Anusha73. This is from George Monbiot's book, "Heat," p. xxiv. (He's British.) "What is the point of cycling into town when the rest of the world is thundering by in monster trucks? By refusing to own a car, I have simply given up my road space to someone who drives a hungrier model than I would have bought. Why pay for double-glazing when the supermarkets are heating the pavement with the hot air blowers above their doors? Why bother installing an energy-efficient lightbulb when a man in Lanarkshire boasts of attaching 1.2 million Christmas lights to his house?"

But if consumers outbuy greener versions of anything, manufacturers will listen.

Do you think auto manufacturers are doing hybrids because of eco-responsibility? No. They are doing it because of increased demand and hence, profitability.

True. Greening the supply side of the equation would help.

I'd be happy if I could find cfl bulbs that fit my bathroom light fixture that last longer than four months. $60 every 4 months is some very expensive lighting!

nycflatcats ... your bathroom lightbulb problem is most likely humidity related. Fluorescent bulbs that fit into incandescent (regular) sockets contain tiny transformers -- these are easily damaged by moisture. If you don't have a fan or a window, I think your greener solution is to go back to normal bulbs (more energy, but fewer bulbs in the trash -- and bathroom lighting is probably used the least amount of any room in the home).

What is the greenest way to shave?

People will try a great many things to assuage their guilt. I buy recycled TP because it is not made from virgin forests, and I am going to keep doing it. Nobody can tell so I might as well make myself happy. It's not a matter of not buying it or buying it, I will always be buying TP, so I am happy to be able to buy a greener alternative. Stuff like this still adds up even though I don't drive a hybrid or bike to work. We've got a friend from Vegas and his whole family "doesn't believe in recycling" and love to use paper plates and plastic utensils instead of having to wash dishes. So I am trying to get them interested in the CSA I subscribe to, arguing that buying local will get them fresher, better quality food and not put as many chemicals into their bodies. There are many ways to go green and while increasing consumption is not the goal, switching to greener alternatives of stuff you'd already be buying can make a difference.

fingrrl. agree with your piece for the book. His opinion is a bit despondent and we should not give up into that. I think the answers are much more philosophic, which I am sure the writter touches in depth in the book - I have not read that. The truth is that partially we are genetically coded to consume, some more bcs they equate their selfworth with the things they own. Some others are taught at an early age that one is what they have in their soul, not what they have materialistically... So the divide starts with that, and in different societies it evolves in different ways.
The Green Revolution has started, but it is on its very latent stage, so it is very hard to give people a formula to follow. BUT, but, I think where Monbiot is going with that thought is that the government should start doing something about that. A family that by choice own one car should not be taxed like a family that own 5 cars. The day will come, when your footprint will be calculated and taxed accordingly, but it is about 35 years away.

Anne (in Reno) I agree with you on all counts. Just bcs I don't own a car, doesn't mean that all should stop owning a car let's say... Just as an example. I am fully aware that the 98% of the country needs a car to get around. The car becomes almost like the water we drink. I feel for you with the friends in Vegas. It is extremely hard to convert people that don't show a speck of interest in a way of life. It is equally hard to say NO to a plasma tv when your husband is a tv engineer that has worked for 10 years in the HD concept, despite the fact that it consumes more energy than a conventional tv... But we take public transportation (lucky to live in NYC) I don't think I could do it anywhere else in the country, we refuse to buy into the a/c thing, we use fans when it's too hot. So you are right, we are in the baby steps of this process and we can counter balance things with the choices we make.

I wonder, given this discussion and the NY Times article and this site, where do we go from here? I mean, we are here at AT because we love design. And it is hard to separate design from consumerism. Is it possible?

Purchasing something that you need anyway is great, but what about those products that are tempting because they are cool and pretend to be green and but really are wasteful and mostly appealing because of their packaging (like those seed matchsticks just posted on the nursery site). I guess this goes along with The Cure and de-cluttering in general-- why buy something that is really seductive but serves very little purpose? And how can AT help us see the difference?

Yes Eliza - your point is very valid. It is a thin balance. But it is a balance. It is a "give and take" compromise from all the sides.

I've also wondered if the government may provide tax incentives on raw materials to manufacturers of green products. I'm thinking more on the level of large manufacturers like builders, automobile factories, levi's, etc. This sounds like a good capitalistic proposition. Companies are not only answering to the needs of the marketplace, they are manufacturing something that has been produced with as little environmental impact as possible and they are receiving a tax break on materials. If it's all about money hopefully everyone can win.

Unfortunately our country seems to have taken a turn to ugly corporatism bent on immediate gratification, and the ideas of long term investment designed to bring great benefits for years to come have been left behind. For individuals, the amount of savings accounts have dropped to an all time low but that doesn't stop people from buying expensive stuff when they want to and cheap stuff because they have to. This mentality doesn't make sense to me and it doesn't make buying green look very enticing to most people because it is essentially a long term investment that will hopefully yield a better planet.

The creeping anxiety is because our consumerist lifestyle is completely incompatible with the long-term inhabitability of this planet. If India and China adopt even a European pattern of consumption, we will go down in a blast of smog, taking the entire planet with us. Fortunately a lot of effort is being put into technology for living and traveling in space because this planet will be unable to support life.

In answer to Deborah's query about green shaving, I've recently switched to using old-fashioned shaving soap with a brush, and I've been quite happy with the results. You can find the brushes at shaving specialty stores, or on Amazon (mine was from a company called Porters). The good brushes can be expensive, but they last a long time, and the soap is cheap and long-lasting. I also bought a razor that uses a single standard industrial razor blade, which I use most mornings, except when I'm in a hurry (you do have to be more careful with these blades than with standard "safety" razors, and it takes two or three minutes longer to shave in the morning).

It's certainly possible to love good design and search for it in vintage and antique pieces. Spending money in and of itself is not wrong for the planet. So if you're going to spend, spend mindlfully. Buying used is one way to do that.

Sometimes you have to buy new. Then it makes sense to buy a durable, well made product that will last. Then you don't have to buy a new one in a short period of time, and you consume less over the long term. My "grocery bag" is a L.L. Bean book bag that I've had for about 16 years. It's survived years of hard use as a book bag, luggage and grocery bag, and I'll need to replace it soon.

You'll never have a perfect conservation oriented lifestyle. But you can make improvements.

Green-consumerism is an easy first step in a society that's used to consuming - it's up to green advocates to help people make the next step. I tend to agree with the Worldchanging crew - when we do need to buy things, we need to buy things that (a) are greener and (b) send a market message about what we expect from producers and politicians.

I try not to buy too much stuff - but when I do have to make a new purchase, I'm very grateful for the huge increase in green things available these days.

It's very interesting how we defend the "American way of life" and actually seem to seek to turn other countries into our own form of government, and yet anytime a country imitates us, their physical health and/or economy seems to deteriorate, or worse!

I'm not sure we're the ones that will be able to lead the world into something better for the planet.

.....im all for the green thing. but what kinda bothers me is the fact that some of the so called "better products" are um hmm lets see...a bit tooo expensive.

im not down with that.
i like my wallet with green in it..not out.

another thing. that silly silly bag " im not a plastic bag" its an overpriced LL bean bag. meaning...its pointless.
so instead i went out got a pattern for tote bags and made my own.


oh and as far as shaving...i was once in my grandmothers farm ( in dominican republic) and has no shaving cream, so she went and took 2 very ripe bananas mashed them up added water and told me to use that...can i tell you not only did it work it left my skin super smooth..and then left me hungry cause i had a craving for a banana milkshake...but oh well.

bellaknollie - I agree with you in many many levels. But we are saying is that a LOT of people make little efforts in their own way. You and I are good at sewing our own tote bag, but someone that doesn't even own a sewing machine, or doesn't know how to, I actually congratulate for buing a LL Bean bag to replace the plastic use. I grew up in a country where my grandmother and mother made absolutely EVERYTHING, from totes to curtains. But sometime you have to buy new textile to make a curtain or a sheet, so consumerism will always be there, it needs to be a bit more refrained and more green - that's a good thing. Besides - if you think that the planet has doubled in terms of population - heading toward tripling, and the earth resources have remained the same, it is a tough equation.

Art - I think all your points are more than valid. It is all about long term vision, but as humans we ALWAYS tend to go against that.

Anusha73 --

I think you might be talking about "The 100 Mile Diet." Two Vancouver-based journalists began it as a year-long feature at an online magazine The Tyee (thetyee.ca). It recently became a book.

They set themselves the task of only eating foods that were grown or raised within 100 miles of Vancouver. Winter caused were some hilariously bad meals until they got the hang of it.

If you go to the Tyee, you can find their feature series in the archive.

I was away for a few days but now am back. Thanks, I particularly liked the advice about smushing bananas on my legs .. I was sitting in my tub shaving my legs & it occurred to me that no matter what approach I'd tried it seemed to entail waste of some sort. And I am astounded at the cost of injector razor blades. Maybe it's time to go back to an old-fashioned razor and revive the styptic pencil. ...