Green
This is going to sound so wrong, I know. But here’s the thing: I cannot stand this new commercialization of “Going Green”. I’ve been GG for a very long time, to the best of my abilities. We recycle every piece of paper, tin can, plastic bottle or aluminum can that passes through this house. Hell, I’m the only teacher in my building who keeps a plastic bottle recycling bag in my room (which gets filled up weekly by all the crappy soda the kids drink). I try not to shower daily (don’t say ewww - I’m not that dirty), and when I do, I take short ones. I won’t intentionally kill spiders. I’m all about peace and love and shit. I cut up those plastic bottle holder things that can strangle dolphins. I plant stuff. I’m “Green” from way back!
I think what Al Gore has done for getting the world back on track and consuming less, emitting fewer greenhouse gasses, and backsliding this whole global warming issue is fantastic! I think it’s great that “the kids” are paying attention and shrugging off their apathy with action. It’s truly a wonderful thing.
However, it really chaps my ass to walk into, like, Express and see rows and rows of “Green is glam” or “Treehugging is chic” T-shirts (made by some slave child in Sri Lanka, no less) alongside the latest super-short metallic-wear party skirts. I think bandwagoning can be catastrophic. All the girls in their “Save the trees for me” T’s and carrying their recycled hemp shoulder bags around the mall are not truly involved with the cause; they’re making a fashion statement.
Fashion statements are great, but nothing disturbs me more than an over made-up 17-year-old wearing an American Apparel T-shirt and thrift-store jeans with Birkenstocks, who “accidentally” leaves her empty spring water bottle on a table in the food court when she’s done with it, or nonchalantly tosses out graded papers with bad grades on them, because she “doesn’t need it anymore”.
I think the renewed interest in preserving the planet is fantastic; I just wish it was sincere, and not a business venture.
