Sedao's Insight

Living efficient not offsetting efficient June 22, 2009

In today’s world people still try to find the easy way to become “green”.  People need to realize that in order to actually save the earth planting a tree or buying energy isn’t the way to go.  Buying solar panels and wind mills are great but there are basic strategies a person can do to conserve on energy and save the planet.  Taking the bus, carpooling, unplugging the pc or cell phone, having a power strip are numerous ways to save on energy and lower consumption to take the energy off the grid.  These practices can be very simple and common if people just apply it to their every day tasks. 

I like to see companies actually implementing these simple practices to their company rather than buying offsets.  For example this company http://www.sundaraspa.com/experience/green-practices.html.

Offsets is a hot button that people love to use because it is easy.  You spend some money and then you can use all the energy you want and not feel bad for the energy wasted.  I was watching King of the Hill the other day and it inspired me to write about offsets.  In the show Strickland Propane dumps waste into the river and in order to create an environmentally friendly image the company goes green.  In the beginning Hank tries to implement practices but then Bud buys offsets because it is easier.  In the end it shows the ignorance of even green freaks because they are happy that Bud is growing trees but he isn’t living green.  In this world we live in it is common place for people to live like this rather than actually converting to green.