Let me explain. Hubband and I are conservative. Fiscally, socially, and (for Hubband) politically. As a conservative, it is often assumed that I do not care about the planet. That I would strip mine Yosemite for quick cash. Or have 15 kids who eat an all beef diet and each drive their own SUV. That could not be further from the truth. God gave us stewardship over this planet. We are to care for it, and in return, we can use it and its resources for our needs. We are not to destroy it like spoiled children on Christmas morning. Ultimately, the earth is still His and should be respected.
It is true that I am suspicious of the modern green movement, which I view as commercial and highly politicized, the result being mass marketed 'green' ideas with unintended consequences. (Where are all of those hybrid car batteries going to go? And all of those florescent light bulbs with mercury in them?) And someone, somewhere (who probably doesn't give a flying fig-newton about the environment), is getting very, very, very rich.
On the flip-side, I heard on the radio this morning that you could fit every person on the planet into the state of Texas, and each man, woman, and child would have one thousand square feet of space. This was used as a counter-argument to those concerned about over-population. Well, that's just stupid. True, as to the population/square footage ratio. But stupid as an argument. The over-population argument is not that there is not enough room for the people, but not enough resources. Oh, how stupid pisses me off.
So, on this Earth Day, I send out a call, to you, my readers. Buy less, use less, throw away less. And, at all cost, let's avoid stupid. (And if you get hungry, check out these adorable Earth Day Treats from my friends the Dickinsons over at G'day, eh!)
Great post today and yes, unfortunately there are those who use "green" as an attempt to make money however, I hope that most are more motivated to make a difference in the environment.
ReplyDeleteI use less and recycle, reuse and reinvent as much as I can, I say no to plastic bags and I'm hosting a giveaway on my blog right now that practically eliminates the need for cleaning products. One by one, it adds up :)
On free to air satellite I see reruns of Judge Judy once in a while. Anyhooooos, she has this saying "if it does not make sense, then it's wrong, somehow".
ReplyDeleteNevertheless it makes good sense to reduce the cost to the household and increase the value by insulating the building as close to the point of being passive as you can afford. These numbers really stack up over a ten year period. On the oil situation, again it makes real financial sense to withdraw, but as yet the graph lines have not met. Where the cost of an oil driven car with the oil to propel it, is on an upward trajectory. And the cost of your electric car and the power to drive it, coming down.
This was great...love the points about the hybrid car batteries and light bulbs with mercury in them.
ReplyDelete"flying fig newton"...hehe...I may have to steal that phrase. :)
hmmmm...good points! you would get along very well with my husband who thinks very similar to you! and thanks for the shout out:) it's been really fun getting to know you through blogging!
ReplyDeleteMy faith may be restored. A self-confessed conservative that has a clue. My guess is you are NOT a Palin fan.
ReplyDeletecorticoWhat, thanks for stopping by. To answer your question, uh, no. Did you read the part where I said I did not like stupid?
ReplyDelete