Topic: Conservation etc ...
One day I decided to look at the world from the green lens, the one of the kind lens that makes your perspective environment friendly. The feeling of being green did not sink in until I passed Chevron HQ on my way to a friends place. Suddenly the red and blue in Chevron's logo appeared black and black to me. And at that moment, I realized that it was not Chevron but my car itself that was the source of the problem. The next thought was that it is not really my car but my need for convenient transportation. My 8 year old Jetta would give me only 22 miles for a gallon of premium fuel while adding to the environment woes. Prius buyers would argue that it is the ultimate environment friendly, activist friendly vehicle. It goes over 50 miles for the same amount of fuel and also, provides a convenient transport. But with all the lead going in those batteries and thus making it to oceans and landfills for disposal, is it a really green vehicle?
Given this, I wonder if the Corporate hoopla about going Green is a mere way to introduce a new line of products painted Green and invisible through the short sighted Green lens. These products may sound environment friendly but they are actually merely less destructive to environment operationally.So much has green become an activist friendly term that companies are running funds to invest in green technologies. Since using green products is now a fashion statement, it has become a marketing ploy for the big businesses. It sounds hypocrytic when Chevron, BP, Ford and Toyota are the ones that talk green. Its like a cat talking the about how many mice it spared today. An example of how attractive the green is to the money managers is here : http://quicktake.morningstar.com/FundNet/Snapshot.aspx?Country=USA&Symbol=PORTX
Green Technology, the word itself, is more of an oximoron. Isn't Industrialization fueled by Technology the first thing that killed environment?
But as one of the 6 billion people on this planet, what is the best way to save the planet. Do nothing is not the answer. The answer lies in conservation. Conservation is the best green way. There is no technology that is perfectly green. If I did not drive my car one day, it may save not only the environmental emissions, it will also save the energy needed in the food chain of producing the Technology. Many times, the technology is not the best way to solve the problem. Aren't the problems with environment created by Technology in first place? I believe it is the way we go about things that will make the most difference.
