I watched GMA this morning and, like a lot of other talk realted shows recently, they focused on "gowing green".  They showed all sorts of "green" products for the home.  All the while I was wondering what everything cost.  At the end of the segment they addressed the cost issue with the answer of "All of these products are comparable to regular products on the market".

I don't know for sure about those products but I do know that a lot of the "environmentally friendly" products at the supermarket cost sometimes up to double the average price.  Not only that, but it isn't easy to find sheets made with bamboo fiber or VOC free paint.  I'm not even convinced that those products are all that helpful.

I just wonder if all of these celebs that are pushing the "green life" are living it.  One instance that made me chuckle was the Cheryl Crow tour where she is going to college campuses to talk about going green and she is contributing by riding in a bus that burns corn oil.  What about the pollutants that the corn oil is producing.  Sure, it's an alternative fuel but is it a good alternative?

I hope people aren't just gobbling up these "green" products as a knee jerk reaction and as a way of being able to say "See, I'm doing my part!"  Don't get me wrong, I think there are plenty of things that we should do to conserve resources.  I just think that people need to use their brains about it.

I think we need to get away from being such a disposable society but in order to do that, two things need to change 1) We have to have products that we can repair and then reuse and 2) We have to have products that cost less to repair than it costs to just by a new one.  Right now, far too many products in our lives are easier and less expensive to merely replace than to repair and reuse.

I also think that we are going to have to slow down.  As of right now we are expected to go, go, go all the time.  Where is the time to make your own ___, repair your ___, or even make changes in our homes in order to save energy and resources.  Anymore, if it isn't simply a matter of a phone call, stop at the store or visit to a website, most people don't do it.

We used to make our own clothes, patch them and hand them down.  Now, we don't have the time and it often cost less to buy an article of clothing than to buy the materials and make it.

I guess I can't complain too much about the steps people are taking since I don't have any answers to the problem myself.