It’s Getting Hot In Here

I remember the days, not too long ago, when I would eagerly flip through any magazine featuring articles with titles like, “It IS Easy Being Green.” I recall my palpable anticipation for the release of “An Inconvenient Truth” as I realized that society was on the verge of a tipping point. I was witnessing a movement in the making, watching eco-mantras appear from thin air, “Green is the new black,” “This is NOT a plastic bag!”

One of the most unique developments of the environmental movement in the past few years is precisely this trendy appeal to individuals that engages and empowers them by highlighting what they can do to make a difference for the cause. So now that being green is trendy, the subculture junkie in me asks: Who is part of this trend? What does this trend mean to individuals? Does the trend actually promote change? And most importantly: What happens when the trend fizzles out?

This trend has motivated people to make eco-friendly purchases and lifestyle decisions, promoting revolutionary and defining principles of our current environmentally conscious society. Consumers are now willing to invest in socially responsible products and are beginning to adopt eco-principles such as paying more upfront for an energy-efficient Prius or organically, locally grown tomatoes, realizing that the long term benefit exceeds the initial cost. Continue reading ‘Going Green and the Class Chasm’