It’s a mixed bag. A lot of go-green projects have been put on the back burner, because of a lack of time and money. Other green initiatives are growing at an exponential rate. The manufacture of wind turbines, for example, and the manufacture of electric and hybrid vehicles. Interestingly, with the fall in pump prices, maybe pundits predicted (sorry, I couldn’t help the alliteration - Peter Piper picked a peck..) that people would resume buying gas-guzzling vehicles. Of course, no one’s buying much of anything right now, but of what automobiles that are being purchased, more are smaller and fuel-efficient.

I attended a ceremonial ribbon-cutting in Lansing just the other day on a "green roof" project. The new Metropolitan Hospital in Grand Rapids has one, too.

It’s great that the government is investing in green projects, and incentivizing businesses and municipalities that go green. That makes it a win-win for everyone.

While I feel a personal debt to all those who conserve on a private level, I still understand the feelings of my friend Jacques Cousteau, who shook his head in bewilderment as he thought of all the people urged to turn off their water as they brushed their teeth —while rivers were being diverted in order to irrigate dry lands and create golf courses. The Concorde was criticized while world militaries were flying huge fleets of supersonic jets.  I myself criticize the overexploitation of certain fisheries while I still eat fish. Back when I was an editor of the old magazine Saturday Revew, there was a column called ‘What One Person Can Do." Looking back,, I’d say that column was written by any number of my heros, including Buckminster Fuller.  All the same, I’m going to be arrogant enough to edit all of them. I’d say "what one person can do" can be summed up in three words: Read. Think. Vote. 

"Going Green"?  Ok, what does that mean?

Does it mean that I will continue on with the common sense methods of cleaning my home with biodegradable substances like vinegar, lemon and baking soda, that my grandmother taught my mother to use, and she has in turn taught me to use?  If that’s one way of going green, then yes.  Does it mean using cloth bags for my groceries instead of plastic?  Well yes, they last longer and hold lots more food but again, my grandmother used to do that so I don’t see why this is new.  Does it mean switching my lights to the funky bulbs?  Sure: they last a lot longer and don’t break as easily.  It makes sense.

Does going green mean buying into a marketing scam?  I’ve seen some people buy stuff that is "green" without even reading the label to see what is in it.  What is important to them is the label.

And with all labels, in a recession, the importance of "green"  will start to fade in favor of the importance of feeding the family.

I wish that more people could see that using stuff like vinegar (and not the fancy stuff that says green on the bottle) is cheaper and saves the planet….and that a cloth bag doesn’t have to be bought for $100 plus in over to save the planet (another designer came out with a $350 plus bag: at my grocery store they cost about $1.50 and I’ve had the same four for about three years now, even a refrigerated type that works well for dairy and meat)… and that a twisty light bulb can save you time as well as money (also in my case since I"m so lazy, it also helps keep light on in my house!).

Unfortunately, what people are being trained to see as green translates into extra money spent, so yes, I think there will be a decline in sales of "green" merchandise.

Going Green.  Let me think.  40 years ago we began, as a community, to clean our beaches of bottles, plastics, cigarette butts (we finally got a "No Smoking on Beaches"ordinance passed) and all the other crap that people bring to the beach and don’t take home with them, and, pardon the "crap" expression, but disposable diapers are abandoned in the sand. I can no longer walk the beaches for hours, but I can send E-mail to residents and neighbors encouraging them to help.

I  knocked off household cleaners a long time ago because of allergies and have used vinegar for years for windows and floors, etc.  I now have a cleaning service that only uses baking soda, vinegar, lemons from my own tree and haven’t sneezed in years except in our local super market. I find that "Method" cleaners in spray bottles are good for touch ups between cleaning days.

Our city has recycled for many years under contract with Waste Management.  We recycle green waste, plastic, glass metal,paper and cardboard into two separate containers and regular old "garbage" into a different container.  The city gets a "payback" every year for recyled waste and it becomes a good thing for every one.  True, our trash pickup fees are rather high, but they are included in our property taxes which makes them a little less painful.

The place where I have drawn the line is on going completely green where food is concerned.  The vegetables and fruit are pathetic in our market so I visit the local farmers market once a week.  All claim that they are organic but if they have items that are ripe that’s good enough for me.

The latest thing that has been done in our beach cities is a warning to one and all that putting any toxic waste in our storm drains will destroy birds, fish and the reefs.  Our city is a bird sanctuary and even though I could throttle the crow that arises at first light and flies from tree to tree crowing for all the others to wake up and greet the morning I am somehow comforted to know that he is still alive.  Oh, Yes, it is a he and he has a she and they have three babies in training.

That apple cider vinegar is just the best stuff.  I read somewhere that the Russians were so hooked on using vinegar, they used it on all of theie battlefields to kill bacteria.

I know you can put it on crabgrass to kill it.  Also on mold in your yard.  Gargle it for sore throat, take it for digestion, put baking soda followed by vinegar to clean out stopped up drains, swallow a couple of tablespoons with honey for overall heart and blood in the body as well as arthritis and relief from the common cold, vinegar and water to clean your windows, mix vinegar and water for acid loving plants in your garden (rhododendrums), use it in milk to use as a substitute for buttermilk in recipes, mix vinegar and glycerine to kill warts, relieve itching of bug bites, douches for female cleanliness, condition hair, wipe a mixture of vinegar and water on your windshield to prevent ice forming on windshield overnight, clean film from glassware, clean hard water build-up from faucets and jets and tubes….and on and on.

That’s just a few uses for apple cider vinegar.  Where can you buy a bottle of unfriendly chemicals which can be used for so many things????

If we all just do a couple of things a day to clean up or restore our earth, we will on our way to survival.  Put your vegetable and fruit waste on the earth.  It will become more healthy earth. Refuse to buy window cleaner for the next year and use vinegar and water instead.  Use cloth diapers on your baby or grandbaby instead of plastic covered diapers.  Recycle cans, plastic, and paper.  Use earth friendly bio-degradable tissue paper in your bathroom.  Let’s strengthen our pitifully and woeful ecological resources and build them to great magnitude.  And if you want to call it something other than "Greening" or "Go Green", etc, do it for earth’s sake.  Just do something - no matter how small.

If we don’t do something, there will be no more apple trees to grow our apples to make our wonderful vinegar.  There will be no more fish in the sea.  There will be no more dogs and cats for pets.  There will be no more us.

Earth is us, we are the earth, it’s ours to take care of.  Where would we go if the earth fails.  There is no where to go.  Take care of Mother Earth.  She provides us with food, clothing, prosperity and growth.  She loves us but she must be treated with love and affection.

The idea of going green has been around since the first Earth Day in 1970 and it is finally being embraced as it should be. Whether you believe that we are largely responsible for global warming and climate change or that the environment is a cyclical thing, WE should be responsible stewards of the only planet available to sustain human life.

Since global warming (and, by extension, cooling) is cyclical, there is too much emphasis.  This is being used to grab more money from those of us still employed.  I want it to stop!