At 28 years old, I hardly feel qualified to comment on “The State of X, Y & Z” or pontificate “The Future of A, B & C.” But as someone who spent all of 2009 on the front lines of “going green” and as someone who had A LOT of quality communication with people trying to green their lives in the most sensible ways possible, I’m proud to say that I’m in a unique position to comment on what people actually want, what’s readily available today, and what could realistically be readily available in 2010.
But first, a few points of clarification:
Going Green Means Different Things to Different People
I get a lot of commentary from people in response to recommendations that we make on LazyEnvironmentalist.com – in many respects, it’s my job to listen. So let me preface by saying, I cherish the feedback that I receive from our hyper-responsive readers, but please take it easy on one another.
If you’re a subscriber of our email list, you know more than most about “going green” in a practical, take-action-today sort of way. In the great realm of things, you care, and that seems to be an essential component of “getting things done” or “taking action.” Please read: Maintain the passion but please don’t assume that everyone knows what you know or that everyone should. Excluding our international peeps – only for a second – realize that going green in NY is very different than going green in NC (I should know, we moved the Lazy E from Brooklyn to Asheville this past year).
Some things are good-different, some things are less-good-different.
That being said, if you need to vent that frustration, I can take it. And I’m confident we’d both rather have you venting in an email to me than somewhere in public – like the frozen foods section of the supermarket. Be patient with people, they’re not trying to kill the planet, they’re just doing what they’ve always done.
Going green means many different things to many different people: In the past week I’ve communicated with an MBA student from Trinidad, an office worker in Phoenix, and a bamboo cabin designer/manufacturer in Asia. They all had valid questions.
You’ll be hearing from Josh over the next number of months leading up to the launch of Season 2 of the Lazy Environmentalist on Sundance Channel – he’s been out on the West coast finding real life solutions for greening everybody from teenagers to termite-chasers, celebrities to cars, bars to hiphop stars (that last one was from Season 1 but it kept the rhyme going nicely, pardon the indulgence this close to the new year).
Personally, I’m going greener
Some of my resolutions are big, some of them are small. I’d always been opposed to resolutions in the past, but this year it doesn’t feel forced, I feel compelled. I feel compelled to continue communicating with the people who reach out to us. It’s a lot like grade school, “There are no dumb questions. If you have a question, somebody else probably has the same question but they’re afraid to ask.” Please ask, I’m asking you to ask.
I feel compelled to reach out to a number of large companies this year. More and more, I believe that promoting green change means bringing green to you. We’re all busy, tired, and frustrated often enough, especially this past year. Large companies aren’t the enemy but they do seem to need an education in going green. Going green doesn’t need to be a burden. I recently read a “marketing report” about what women want: After polling thousands of women, they deduced that women are increasingly busy in the workplace and at home, and therefore desire practical solutions to everyday concerns without sacrificing style or thrift. Yes, you’re right, none of that is surprising. And I have news for them, men want much of the same.
Look at the subtitles of Josh’s books: “The Lazy Environmentalist: Your Guide to Easy, Stylish Green Living” and “The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget: Save Money. Save Time. Save the Planet.” If you want practical, realistic, and economical green solutions that are readily available, tune in.
For You
I hope you decide what areas of your life you can green first (or next, as the case might be) and take action. You’ll improve on things from there, just get started in one (or, one additional, as the case might be) aspect of your life. I promise you, it’s surprisingly easy and rewarding. Type a search into the search box – top right for anything you’re considering – and just see what comes up.
Thank you for an eventful, challenging, and interesting 2009. Thank you family, friends, and you.
Aron Kressner, or AK, is Marketing & Operations Director at The Lazy Environmentalist. Aron is also the Managing Editor of LazyEnvironmentalist.com. He is responsible for managing all content on The Lazy Environmentalist website and developing business opportunities that help consumers green their lifestyles more easily, immediately, and affordably. Prior to joining the Lazy Environmentalist, Aron managed one of the most successful bicycle retail stores in the U.S. and founded a consultancy that helped develop start-ups and small businesses across multiple industries. When not biking, hiking or otherwise enjoying the great outdoors Aron is usually working.
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