I Bleed Green

Green is the new pink this March. Amongst other things, Green grass when the snow finally melted for that always-exciting-and-frustrating mid-winter meltdown before we are hit with the inevitable April snowstorm (God love the Midwest weather), green beer as I finally escape to the sweet atmosphere of the bars at 6am for an East Lansing St Patrick's Day (A city that will forever be green), and green in the papers as Hollywood makes the environment fashionable.

I have heard the monologues given by my pure-intentioned hippie boyfriend (dear God even I'm accessorizing with my green beloved) about how our consumption is going to lead to the complete breakdown of the circle of life, about the money saving and energy saving natural resources that are will NOT run out by 2050, about the ill-intentioned corporations. So this stuff has been shuffling around my brain for a few years, but I woke up one morning and realized that it was everywhere. I wasn't just hearing from him anymore, I was hearing it from the NYTimes (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/07/business/businessspecial2/07jobs.html?ref=businessspecial2), from Silicon Valley (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/14/technology/14valley.html?hp), from Al Gore (http://www.aninconvenienttruth.co.uk/).

I think it’s fabulous that issues are becoming trendy. It's the one follower-fueled trend that could be positive, not leading girls into non-carb-sugar-calories-fat-food diets or convincing men to wear pink. Isn't the best way to get people to become more aware of waste and environmental alternatives in their life that to put in the mouth of their fave celeb, or making exaggerated movie commentaries about the meltdown of our ozone (Midwest weather...hmm...). It works for every other stylish lifestyle that people follow when told by Tyra Banks that it is fierce. The AIDS epidemic has been going on for countless years, yet, before Bono and the Gap took hold of the issue, it was helped by a niche group of passionate people. But I'm not going to rip on red Razr phones or Bradgelina when, because of their exploitation of the issue, there are more people aware and helping the cause. More is always better, regardless of by how much. So whoever decided that they would blow up environmental issues over the brainwaves of the public (It was probably Steve Jobs in some twisted path, because he can infiltrate the American lifestyle in a way that I would give my business degree to understand.) is a genius. Because, if small, it may be working. Corporations eager to cash in on this marketing persona are actually working on changing processes to eliminate more pollution, develop 100% natural clothing lines (http://www.americanapparelorganics.com/), rock 'n rollers are reeling in the music elite crowds to recycle(http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/15/fashion/15reverb.html), and party planners creating the au natural wedding (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/11/fashion/11green.html?ex=1174017600&en=00750a103573dfaf&ei=5070) I am full of useful links today. So I tip my hat to the Hollywood trend-setter that saw the real beauty in their power.


*I do also realize that it could be that the NYTimes is just very into the green thing and, being that it is my main source of news (asside from the occational Wall Street Jouranl article my dad sends me about what amazing thing Steve Jobs is doing in order to fuel my obsession with him), I am simply not expanding beyond their range of worldly coverage. I will attempt to get my hands on some different sources to expand my media library