The time for confessions has come. Tell the truth: are you tired of being an eco-friendly person? Do you think it's not worth it? Well yes. You can suffer from the symptoms of "green fatigue": general malaise, disillusionment with eco-compatible practices and sustainable living. What are the really important environmental issues? Who is telling the truth?
Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerous
The time for confessions has come. Tell the truth: you are tired of being an eco-friendly person? Do you think it's not worth it? Well yes. You can suffer from the symptoms of "Green effort": general malaise, disillusionment with eco-compatible practices and live sustainably. What are the really important environmental issues? Who is telling the truth?
The roots of the eco-virus however, they are in several factors:
- media exaggeration;
- the companies that have turned environmentalism into one Marketing Strategy;
- China, which with about 20 cities is in the top of the ranking of the 30 most polluting in the world.
- lWestern greed, which feeds large factories, especially the Chinese ones where cheap products are produced;
- Conflicting information on products and practices passed off as eco-compatible but which, after having invested in them, actually turn out to be not very green.
It is convenient to point the finger at the big issues and tell ourselves that "we are one, after all what can we do?". However, a better question might be: "How much do you actually contribute to being green?"
Let's see if you can identify yourself in any of these examples:
Excess of zeal Newbie
Most people do not react well to changes, they need time to adapt, to leave traditions behind, to learn to appreciate the new, in short, to change your habits.
In short, human beings are unable to give up their comforts in the slightest. Maybe they give, but not recycle, they don't live without paper towels or, even worse, they might feel bad just hearing about recycled toilet paper. Let alone the washable one.
Don't be surprised if your family isn't ready to adopt a sustainable lifestyle yet. Like most habits, it's better transform them slowly than giving it up completely suddenly. Instead, you may want to focus and try to change your family's habits they start with those things that interest them most.
Many people can be initiated into a green life if they choose this increases their benefits and especially if it goes to bulging their pockets. Sometimes you just need to bet on a few specific changes which can also be implemented at home. For example by replacing the normal light bulbs with those with low energy consumption it can really make a difference. L'gradual extinction of old generation bulbs would avoid the issue of 700 million tons of carbon in the atmosphere every year and above all an evident decrease in the cost of bills. Again, by lowering the two degree thermostat billions of coal can be saved every year. Try to imagine how many economic benefits this would lead to your family.
Green washers
greenwashing is one marketing ploy to convince consumers that a certain product or service is environmentally friendly, when in reality it is not. This move is quite effective because the exterior aspects, i.e. the facade of the product may actually be eco-friendly, while the intrinsic properties are actually not. Therefore the product has been "washed" and transformed at will.
Part of the problem is that consumers want the perfect product / service. For some products (such as auto, for example) there aren't any perfect answers yet, but marketers are paid to transform the look of the product they want to sell. So the green enthusiasts they can get confused with this false advertisement and often such confusion leads to apathy. If you own a small business you might be tempted to jump on the green marketing bandwagon. But if you really care about your company and especially the planet you are living on, stay away from these tricks and read our advice on the mistakes to avoid to "appear green". It is better for your product or service to remain in the market for its own merits than to "cheat" consumers by showing them qualities that don't really exist.
The green enthusiast
Doing everything you can for the Earth is a good thing, so what's wrong withbe condemned to green living? Nothing, unless you are a contribute to the increase of the "green fatigue" epidemic. So to avoid this and to be able to convince others to dedicate their lives to the green, the secret is in the right approach. As we have also reiterated in the last point of the Greenetiquette, our eco-etiquette: "Are you green? Don't flaunt it“! Enthusiasm is contagious, but sometimes it's best to let your actions speak louder than your words.
The hypocrite
One of the main causes of environmental clutter is the overpopulation of the Earth. So it could be your children, or those of the current generation, a implement the necessary changes to put a stop to all this. One of the best things you could do for Earth is to educate your children to respect its resources. Strive to be a living example of what you believe in. Children learn to protect the environment a school, but your influence as a parent is much stronger for learning to live in the real world.
Living green can be tiring, especially if your efforts are made seem to have little effect. But think about how many steps forward have been made compared to 20 years ago where, for example, the programs of Recycling organized were practically non-existent. Environmentalism may seem like one dim cause in the light of the world's troubles, but don't give up.
And seen the spread "Of the exhaustion from green living" which in the long run can lead to environmental cynicism, try these strategies to overcome your personal "green collapse":
Confess your echo "sins"
If you feel guilty about your overuse of plastic bags or your addiction to paper cups, now there is a place where you can confess your eco-sins: TrueGreenConfessions.com where you can confess all yours large and small eco-faults such as "I throw used batteries ... in organic waste!". Going out, as we know, helps to overcome the problem!
Change slowly
To avoid diminishing your quality as ecologists, do not try to do everything immediately, the important thing is to do something every day, that is to do one thing at a time.
Gloria Mastrantonio
