The question is not whether green mistakes were made -- and businesses capitalizing on ignorance -- but whether the trend and one's stance towards the health of the planet are appropriate to our situation. If hypocrisy is the tribute paid to virtue, then green hypocrisy is better than what we had to live with before.

It is also worth pointing out that one of the misunderstandings of the environmental movement is that it is against things like plastic, and that we should all be miserable. We need to do certain things now in order to make space available for us to enjoy these things and live happier lives without being forced to eliminate all good things because the planet has deteriorated to a point where survival is threatened. Plastic is one of the great inventions of all time -- but covering the world in useless plastic is a disaster. The same thing is true for oil (not unrelated). We will always need oil for certain things: using it in cars is a stupid waste.

Also, Amos is right. As I tell my students: there are more cells belonging to other creatures in your body than there are your cells. We are pullulating environments, we are our environments. It is the delusion that we are separate that causes all the trouble.

yours,

Peter T.