I LOVE This Article

Why Buying Nothing, Doing Less & Being Lazy Can Help the Planet

By Matt McDermott
Brooklyn, NY, USA Mon Jul 27 13:21:00 EDT 2009

Much of what we do at Planet Green is give you information so you can do something to make your life greener and generally have a positive impact on the planet. But for one quick moment I'd like you to consider that in many instances do less or doing nothing at all can be the greenest option out there. Here's why:

If I can impart only one bit of green wisdom on you, one which should inform every other decision you make, whether you think of it as green or not, it is that the meta-problem of sustainability and green is that humanity's current consumption of natural resource and production of waste far exceeds the carrying capacity of the planet and is fully unsustainable.

Which is a fancy way of saying humans consume too much stuff. We do too much. We do it in ways that don't allow for the natural replenishment of the soil, the water, and ecosystems. And population growth is making it all worse.

That's the crux of climate change, deforestation, air pollution, water pollution, soil degradation, endangered species, overfishing, animal welfare, energy security... pretty much every single issue we tell you about.
You could use those words in bold up above to tell someone why whatever green issue you're talking about is a pressing problem and be essentially correct. It might be a broader answer than you want to give, but you wouldn't be wrong. Consider that next time you want to do anything that potentially consumes natural resources:

Do You Really Need That Thing You Want to Buy?

You're in the store trying to decide between buying gizmo A and gizmo B. Both are equally green in terms of materials, manufacturer take-back program, and all the other things that makes a greener gadget, but in fact the greener decision is probably not buying either one and either making do with what you have or making do without it in the first place. Ask yourself if you've lived this long without it, do you really need it in the future. You may, but you equally may not. Doing nothing ultimately benefited the environment.




Finish the article here.