Raising awareness about global warming, enviro-friendly products and people doing green deeds is obviously a good thing — but does every single magazine on the rack have to come out with a green issue? I’m starting to believe that there actually can be too much publicity when it comes to climate change, especially when it reaches the fashion world. Seriously, if I read the word “eco-chic” one more time, I’ll jab my eyes out with my biodegradable pen. I’m just waiting for the day when I finally see the green issue of Maxim (and I don’t mean this one).
Plus these magazines are all so redundant. I mean, enough with the Top 10 Things You Can Do to Help the Environment — Wait, let me guess, drive less and screw in a CFL light bulb? Whoa, never would have thought.
I just fear that as soon as all the magazines get these green issues out of the way, they’ll feel like it’s out of their system, over and done with, like any other passing trend. By next month they’ll probably declare ironic gas guzzling “in” and earnest recycling “out” with headlines like, “Littering is the new black!” Then I’ll be left comforting No Impact Man as he sheds a silent tear into his vermiculture experiment … and regrets the waste of water.
April 18, 2007 at 5:42 am |
I don’t know quite what to think about it myself. Lots of it is good information, but I’ll say that some of it is feeding off the hype. We’ve got to remember that these companies are in the business of selling magazines, so green is selling right now. That’s good.
http://jetsongreen.typepad.com/jetson_green/2007/04/its_a_green_spr.html
April 18, 2007 at 12:06 pm |
Wow! Vanessa, step away from the biodegradable pen!! Don’t throw your life away, girl!
Seriously now, I guess it must be kinda obnoxious, but I personally am not so exposed to it, you know, living in Europe and all
I only get it through the internet… Wanna move over here? 
April 18, 2007 at 12:39 pm |
Yeah, I noticed this and wrote about it too…. Everyone’s on the green bandwagon, it seems. What will be the lasting impact, though unless people and governments make significant changes?
April 18, 2007 at 3:02 pm |
I totally feel you on this one, and I’m starting to wonder if green issues are in danger of jumping the shark like they were back in the early 1990s. Green is the hot topic right now, and eventually, the hype is going to have to wear off. At least this time nobody’s made a ridiculous kids cartoon. Back in the 1990s, the clue that we’d all jumped the shark was “Captain Planet and the Planeteers”. I mean…what?
That said, this wave of hype has been good. It’s brought capital investment to the table and helped keep the public aware of important discussions in the halls of power. It’s bringing new people around to a greener way of thinking. The thing to do is to enjoy the hype while it lasts and be prepared to roll up our sleeves and keep ourselves together when the hype is gone, because if we do, we’ll have a higher starting point than we did the last time around.
For us, that means doing what all bloggers do– preaching to the choir.
April 19, 2007 at 3:26 am |
My friend Risa & I were just discussing this; the same thing is happening with “eco living” books. They’re starting to sound the same. Exceptions go to The Better World Handbook, as it covers so much more than just environment! Have you bought a copy yet?
April 20, 2007 at 3:09 am |
So funny that you should write about this. I have been thinking and feeling the same for sometime now. And just when I thought that I have seen it everywhere possible…I see it pop up somewhere else. Honestly, it’s my sentiments exactly. There is always a point of overkill in our society/media. I’m really happy that it’s getting attention, but I want it to actually be making a difference in daily lives. I pulled out an article I saw today in New York magazine about the same thing (”So We’re Green. Now What?”).
Where is the line? And how do we keep a good balance? Only when “being green” is part of our everyday life…and not just some trendy, mainstream idea.