The Green Pipe Dream Has Gone Mainstream

By Amy J. Belanger

They used to say it was a pipe dream.

Now it’s a top story in every major media outlet and on the tongues of everyday people. The era of green living is here.

The baby boomers that launched the environmental movement grew up to become the developer, homeowner, business owner, agency head and politician of today. And green is on their agenda. With summer temps rising everywhere; energy prices skyrocketing; and warnings of worse to come, they couldn’t have come into their full power at a more important moment.

Boomers are just one segment of a public increasingly focused on health, longevity, comfort and giving back to the world. They want their homes, workplaces and towns to be better places to live, work, and play. They are savvy about the effects of toxins in food, other products, air and water on their health, and they’re ready to choose alternatives.

Christian Nys, owner of Planet Harmony Homes in Phoenix, Ariz., says with all the organic, green and socially responsible products on the market, there’s no longer any excuse to pollute our bodies and the planet.

Nys is part of a growing wave of citizens who are going green and greener as they discover the alternatives and realize they don’t have to sacrifice comfort and aesthetics.

“But it’s not all about the cost,” he says. “It’s about the bigger picture. People of conscience need to start creating models for the shift from consumerism to deeper values of health, community and family.”

He adds, “Can I really say I have family values if I’m using products that compromise my family’s health and future?”