It is amazing to me how much the green movement has taken over our lives. It is positive, yes, but it is everywhere. I do have to admit that I’m turned off by how it is the cool thing to brag about all the green things you do.
I view it like good deeds. I was always taught that it isn’t all that polite to brag about how many good deeds you do each day or how much money you donate to a charity. Being green is like a good deed for the earth and future generations. Do it and feel good about it. Don’t brag about it.
So I guess I should get to my point. In the media we are receiving an overload of information about snack companies implementing greener practices.
I’m not stupid. I know that these companies will always be there despite the fact that many people are eating healthier. It is a good thing that they are working to help the environment.
However, this act of green-ness isn’t going to improve on the foods they are producing. I might feel better about the environment by purchasing chips from an eco-conscious company, but I won’t feel any better about my personal health.
I haven’t completely eliminated these foods, but I do limit them. As green as the production processes may be, they still aren’t real food.
I guess I’m just trying to figure out how the public will react to these changes. Will parents feel better about feeding their children sodium and fat filled potato chips because they are supporting a green company? Do people who couldn’t care less about their health care any more about the environment?
Green practices are a good thing, but sometimes I think we start in the wrong place. We start with the external when we should start with the internal. Focus on having a green body – one that is full of healthy, natural foods. This will no doubt affect the environment from our buying practices to lowering the funds spent on healthcare.
Be green, not just in what you buy and what you do, but in who you are.
Photo by Schick, morguefile.com
I think in some ways it’s good for people and companies to “brag” about their green-ness because it might encourage others to change their own habits and generally raise awareness. Obviously lots of companies will seize on anything green in order to sound good, without necessarily actually making important changes, but again, if that gets other people thinking green then it’s still a good thing!
Obviously you’re right, eating local, organic, sustainably produced products is always going to be better than eating stuff that was processed in a factory thousands of miles away, even if the factory planted 100 trees this year. But as long as snack foods exist, at least companies can do their best to minimize their impact on the environment!
That’s a good point. It probably does raise awareness in some ways despite the companies intentions. I agree, they’ll always be there so it is better they clean up their act. I just hope it doesn’t convince people that their foods should be eaten more often. 🙂