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GREEN IS QUICKLY BECOMING AMERICA’S FAVORITE COLOR
By Jackie Colognesi
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y.—Green is quickly becoming America’s favorite color.
“Going green” describes a trend in which people try to become more environmentally conscious. Most notably ushered in by Al Gore’s 2006 documentary on global warming, An Inconvenient Truth, the green trend is being endorsed by celebrities and big business alike and is currently one of the trendiest causes for Americans to support.
“I’m interning at MTV this semester, and they’re huge on the green thing,” said Lindsey Byrd, 21, a senior at Marist College. “They only use recycled paper. Every time you turn a corner, there’s a giant blue recycling bin. We’re constantly getting e-mails about what we can do to go green.”
Byrd added, “MTV has really inspired me to go green myself.”
It seems Americans should be taking a green approach to living. According to a 2004 Washington Post article, Americans consume nearly 25 percent of the world’s oil and emit 25 percent of its greenhouse gas emissions despite housing only 5 percent of the world’s population. A report released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on October 17, 2007, stated that only firm action will help put the cap on global warming.
The IPCC report calls for governments to take severe measures to curb greenhouse gases. The report says that while carbon dioxide emissions must be cut immediately to avoid predicted catastrophic scenarios, some effects of human activity will remain. Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban-Ki Moon, told Sciencedaily.com that reversing the effects of global warming “is the defining challenge of our age.”
Americans are eager to rise to the challenge. A survey by the Travel Industry Association (TIA) released in October 2007 reports that 78 percent of U.S. adults consider themselves environmentally conscious. Eighty-five percent of respondents said that they turned off the lights whenever they left a room, 60 percent said they recycled their trash and 53 percent said they tried to keep showers short.
Marist College students are attempting to go green in a similar fashion.
“I shut all of the doors and windows when the heat’s on,” said Mackenzie Edgerton, 21, a senior at Marist College. “I try to recycle, I use energy efficient light bulbs, and I take my reusable tote bags with me when I go grocery shopping. I think every little bit helps.”
Every little bit might help. Celebrity culture in America is certainly working to enforce this ideal. Actor/writer Larry David drives a hybrid Toyota Prius on his HBO Show, “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” AOL.com reports that actor Orlando Bloom is building a house in London using solar technology and Leonardo DiCaprio plans on releasing his own documentary on global warming, titled The 11 th Hour.
The celebrity influence has helped spark a sudden surge in the popularity of the green movement. But the question remains; are people only going green because it is trendy, or is the movement here to stay?
Environmentalist John Grant explores the question in a July 2007 edition of his blog, Greenormal. Grant said that a similar green movement born in 1989 died out rather quickly. He believes that this green movement has more lasting power, stating on his website that “[this] green bandwagon is more like a medical diagnosis of a potentially fatal illness.”
Scott Dreher, 20, a senior at Marist, said “I think it’s a question of necessity. Oil prices are going to keep rising, and we’re going to pay more and more for it until we run out. It’s a hot topic as to what to do, but I think people will try to go green as long as it makes sense for them financially.”
“It’s all part of a bigger trend,” said Britta Green, 21, a Marist senior. “People are trying to be healthier, so they’re eating organic. Going green is just another part of having a healthier lifestyle.”
Green, a fashion major, added, “The movement is definitely everywhere. Balenciaga just held a fashion show in a greenhouse. Everyone’s trying to promote awareness.”
Cael Schwartzman, 21, a senior at Marist, had a positive outlook. “I definitely think going green is a trend. There’s so much hype about it.”
“I think the trendyness of it will die out,” Schwartzman added, “but I think by then, people will have just incorporated going green into their everyday lives.”