Health, Taken Seriously

I recently checked out Big Green Purse from the library because it had good reviews on Amazon.  When I picked up the book, I skimmed the Index and saw that, not surprisingly, it followed the typical formula of most other “green” books out there–a chapter on personal-care products, one on food, one for cleaning products, one about kids stuff, etc, etc.  I skipped to chapter 12–Home, Green Home–and started reading what applied most to me right now.  It was so-so.  Nothing I haven’t heard or read before.

Then I decided to do what I probably should have done first–start the book at the beginning.  The introduction and first chapter are good.  Really good.  Diane MacEachern, the author, starts by describing her own experience with global warming.  She had visited Kilimanjaro in 1983 and saw its gorgeous glaciers.  When she returned in 2000, they were noticeable diminished.  By 2020, scientists say they may be gone all together.  She then goes on to say that women in the U.S. spend 85 cents of every dollar.  “When we pay for goods, manufacturers pay attention,” she says.  She explains how women have the unique ability to shape the world into what we want.  We could buy low VOC-paints because we don’t want VOCs in our homes, or we could buy low-VOC paints to encourage manufacturers to make low-VOC paints.  Convincing examples from cars to nail polish to tea demonstrate this as a viable way to induce change.

I must say I love it!  What a great way to feel empowered to make change.  What can one person do?  Doesn’t seem like much.  It really feels like change will have to come from Congress, in the form of laws that improve fuel efficiency, ban dangerous chemicals, subsidize organic farming.  Can you really do anything?  Does it really matter if you buy that organic apple or the cheaper, conventional one?  But what this book does is show that you can make a difference by where you spend your money.  You are supporting the industries and methods behind the products you buy.  If you want change, speak with your money.  Or as she says on page 48, “if you want to change a company’s behavior, spend your money on a competitor’s more desirable offerings.”  I also appreciate that she mentions that you can also induce change by NOT buying new.

The book shares some great environmental information on why this is so important, then procedes to show you where you can spend your money for a greener world.  She dives into a lot of topics, including electronics and birth control and wasteful packaging, and for the most part is accurate and thorough.  I disagree with some of her conclusions and stats (including the causes of breast cancer, the true environmental impact of cloth diapers, and the availability of organic baby food), but overall, it’s a great book.  Very empowering!  And while it might be strange for a guy to be seen reading a book about purses, I don’t think this book is exclusively for women at all.