Splitting Green Hairs
Posted by Timothy on 07/12/2008 at 9:10 PM I was recently chatting with the lovely Leonora from Treehugger about the greenness of green and how many of the companies which are generally considered green are being criticised for not being as green as they perhaps could be.And this bothers me. Not because I think that the companies being accused aren’t green enough or even heaven forbid greenwashing, but because I think that those people criticising them are missing the bigger picture. Do we really need to tear apart the companies which are genuinely trying but are not yet perfect?
What these critics fail to realise is that not only is there always room for improvement but that no company no matter how green is ever perfect nor will there ever be a perfect company no matter how far down the green road they have chosen to or even be able to travel.The goals of sustainability are constantly moving. Sure it is likely that we will reach the goals of today, but by the time we have the goals of today will only be the starting point for a tomorrow with much different goals.
In fact if you want to go down the road of how green is green then you need to question the very nature of any and every company which creates goods to be consumed. The mere act of consumption could well be argued to be a negative impact venture. But the truth is we live in a consumer society and not everyone has the time, energy or knowledge to create self-sufficient lifestyles without any reliance on consumerism. If we did we would be living as hermits growing our own food and weaving our own clothes.
But it’s not just about consumerism as related to the basic necessities. The fact is we also live in a society where people work hard and like to reward themselves with little luxuries – whether it is a beautifully prepared meal with a nice bottle of wine, or an article of clothing which makes you feel good about yourself. These needs and desires are the things which for better or for worse define the vast majority of the population living in the developed world.
I am all for pushing companies to reduce impact and create a more sustainable future whether it is through an environmental or a social agenda. But what these critics are doing is forgetting that the companies they are lambasting are at least trying to make a difference. It may not be perfect but it is a step in the right direction and significantly better than the vast majority of companies which are choosing to do nothing. Surely their criticisms should not be focused on how green those few companies that are trying actually are, but on the vast majority of other companies which really don’t care, are simply complacent, or are engaged in greenwash without any real concern. Imagine if these critics took their efforts and instead of splitting hairs, chose to focus on those other companies. Wouldn’t it make a greater difference of good to take a completely non-performing company and make it perform rather than fine-tuning someone who is already moving towards a target?
