I don't know if the Environment really matters...

It might be because it's an election year, but it seems like the environment is becoming a forefront issue in the last couple of months. "Going Green" is everywhere I turn. Flipping through the ads in the Sunday paper I even saw a shirt advertised that says, "Recycling is HOTT!" ($7.50 at Target, I think)

So is "saving the environment" just a political buzz word or do people really care enough to make changes in behavior/how they purchase things? Or does it all come down to convenience?

The reason I'm so curious is that I'm the Marketing Manager for a larger "home services industry" in Kansas City. We're also part of a corporation and Corporate is putting out a piece to our customers touting our "Green-ness" and how if they purchase this gadget for their home, they will save on their utility bills and the environment.

Honestly? It's actually an awesome promotion, even if I didn't create it myself. People really do need this do-dad of ours. But are they going to spend the money for said do-dad merely on the principal that they will be helping the environment, or does it come down to their pocket book and how much it really will save them money?

Some of our products cost thousands of dollars. Would someone really decide that they want to replace working items in their home just to reduce their carbon footprint? My paycheck hopes so, but I'm skeptical.

Handsome, Darling and I are moderately environmentally friendly in the Moxie household. We are "light green" I guess. We recycle almost all of our trash, we compost, we even carpool with Handsome's brother (We live very close to my job and Handsome and his brother work together).

Do we carpool because we're trying to reduce carbon emissions? Nope. We do it to save gas money. Recycling saves on trash bags, composting is convenient. I wouldn't say we do any of these solely to help the environment.

We certainly don't buy products for their friendliness to Mother Earth (Except hair spray. I would never buy aersol hair spray).

So, are we the average American? Or are we just behind the times in our moderate apathy of the environment? I have no idea.

I just hope enough people do buy the do-dad that's getting advertised this week. We'll see.

Check out this website and figure your own carbon footprint.