Green Is INDIVIDUAL

Smokey the Bear said, “Only you can prevent forest fires.” Jimmy the generic green mascot says, “Only you can be green.” The power of being green rests with the individual. An individual can make choices in their own lives that have a ripple effect on the whole collective, such as recycling. Recycling is an individually driven task whose end result is a benefit for the collective. Individuals, via the consumer marketplace, will decide what green consumables will survive and those actions will drive other types of consumables to be produced.

Individuals, via innovation, will continue to push the envelope in green products and methods. Through individuals, the collective will achieve a seamless and effective transition to a greener society and reap the associative benefits. That is the power of the individual.

Green Is PHILOSOPHY

I like to think of green as a philosophy. Thinking of green as a philosophical term allows me to be open to what others think of green and not limit my own beliefs. It is not for me to say what the singular definition of green is. After all the end result of green, no matter the path to achieve the end result, is the same and provides a collective benefit. There must be of course limits to what constitutes a green path so that the collective may prevent “greenwashing”. The green industry is constantly evolving and will continue to do so for its existence. Evolution is one of the fundamental pillars of green philosophy. (I plan on posting more about the pillars of green philosophy in a later post.)