Green for the Environment, Status, or Money
Green for the Environment, Status, or Money
Are you “green” by choice, default, guilt, social status, or money?
Or are you “green” because of all those reasons?
What prompted me to write this article is something that happened at a recent hockey association meeting. One of the parents suggested that our organization take up the cause to be green and promote it as a way of attracting players and families. WHAT! I doubt very highly that a player would come to our hockey club because we are green. I also think that trying to promote our club based on social status and not on hockey ability is ridiculous.
The truth of the matter is; many of us are “green” and don’t even know it. I guess I consider myself “quietly green” (until the writing of this article). I don’t make a big deal of it and mainly just try to do the right thing.
Being green at home is not hard. In our town we have to recycle. Putting bottles, cans, paper, and cardboard in a separate bin is not a difficult task. The town collects the recyclables and turns them in to cash for the town. Therefore, town expenses are lower which translates to lower taxes. You save money, the town makes money, and the landfill does not fill up as fast. Everyone wins. I once lived in a town where inspectors would go through your garbage looking for recyclables in your regular garbage can and fine you if they found non-compliance.
I switched most of the light bulbs in the house to fluorescents. The light is brighter and I like it. The bulbs use less electricity, and I save money. They also last longer which means I have to buy less and there is less garbage. Less garbage, less taxes. Less taxes and bulbs, more money for me.
I don’t wash my car as often as I used to. It’s because I am lazy, but I am also saving money on the water bill. Less washes, less water used. Less water used, lower water bill. Lower water bill, more money for me.
And now a Stew’s Pot message from a sponsor…
Junk mail was driving me crazy. I would get an average of 35 pieces of junk mail a week. Addressed to me, my wife, my kids, all of us, and even the dog. Getting tired of going through it and shredding it, I signed up for GreenDimes, which is a junk mail reduction service. I was skeptical, read the material on their website, went ahead and joined, filled out the forms, paid my $20 bucks, and felt good that they would plant some trees. It took about 6 to 8 weeks for the reduction process to kick in. There has been a big change in the amount of junk mail received. I experienced a 75% reduction in junk mail and it was well worth the money. GreenDimes also helps you get off catalog mailing lists. I have already identified over 20 catalogs that I do not want to receive.
And now back to the article.
I needed a new dishwasher and was left with a dilemma on which one to choose. I ended up with a model that has a pretty decent energy saver rating, not the best yet not the worst, but more important, one that my wife likes. There are some things that you have to compromise on.
90% of the inkjet cartridges and toner that I use, at home and at work, are recycled units. My hockey team collects used cartridges and turns them in as a fundraiser. It’s good for $25 to $40 dollars a month. The refilled recycled cartridges are also cheaper by an average of 33%. Again, it is a win-win situation. The team makes money, my company and I save money, less garbage at the landfill.
My company has several recycling areas set up. Drink bottles and cans, scrap metal, tires, batteries, light bulbs, and paper. Once a month we make a recycling run. We get cash for whatever we can. The cash is used for the “fun” fund. Lunches, parties, basketball hoop, picnic table with umbrella, whatever the employees want to use it for. Again it is a win-win.
We also have water coolers at the office and supply paper cups, not plastic. Paper cups are cheaper. There is also a dishwasher in each break room for lunch plates and coffee mugs. That means less Styrofoam. It’s also cheaper to run the dishwasher once a day than to keep paying for throw away eating items.
Now on to personal preferences. I would rather throw garbage in a garbage can than out the car window. I would rather walk to a garbage can than leave garbage in the park. I will pick up garbage that gets blown, or dropped, on my property. It’s the right thing to do.
So which is it? Why am I green? Or am I just exhibiting common sense?
Why do we have to associate “green” with doing the right or smart thing?
Maybe there is just a lot of common sense that needs to be applied in order to accomplish the same mission.
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I, also, am more interested in "green" as personal responsibility than as the political banner it often parades under. I'm with you that "the right thing" is most often the thing that makes perfect sense (and saves money). It's often a matter of just thinking it through in the first place.
"Hockey, the Environmentally Correct Sport", huh?
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trying to promote our club based on social status
That's just sad. Nothing like trying to look elitist and leaving some kids (with talent) out.
Being "green" is a personal responsibility in my opinion, as well as being the right thing to do.
I agree that it's just plain ol' common sense. Sadly, there seems to not be enough of that some days. Chalk it right up there with common courtesy.
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I agree with what your comments. That is why I voted down the idea.
In the past seasons, we have always gotten our players involved outside of the rink, but it is up to each team as to what they want to do.
My son's teams and the organization's teams have: collected food for the local pantry, served holiday meals at the shelters, visited nursing homes, collected clothing for families that have had their house burnt down, and other community projects. His team also volunteers to help the younger teams during tryouts and at various practices through out the season.
The kids should learn how to "give back", and doing so "quietly" is better than ANNOUNCING it to the world.
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You know there are some people that will try and take just about anything to benefit themselves in some way. The fact that people are taking something good like going green to do that well its not great but it could be worse. Every little bit helps even if we aren't all doing it for the best reasons.
I like the thing on less junk mail I may need to try that.
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Interesting that someone would choose "going green" as a sort of status symbol. Community service is a wonderful thing, but as you said, it shouldn't be done for the purpose of personal gain. Feeding the hungry, volunteering at hospitals and nursing homes, helping to build houses for the homeless are all ways to share and give back without promoting yourself by doing it. I agree with you about being green as just the sensible thing to do, too. It takes just a bit of time and is almost always a way of making the world a better place.
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Progress in the right direction, even a little at a time, is better than no progress at all.
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Being fiscally responsible and environmentally friendly at the same time is a win-win for all.
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I'm green cause I believe its the way to live and I was born a frog.
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