Ah, the colour green. How this word has come to represent the entire environmental movement and new, more "enlightened" consumerism is boggling. Marketers and companies certainly haven't wasted any time exploiting the idea we have all attached to this word and colour to sell all sorts of products and services.
While the word "green" clearly carries some mixed feelings for me, I thought it might be worth defining and perhaps starting the conversation.
Green - This word, the way some use it today anyways, symbolizes the environment and social justice. "Green" comes from the Old English word "grene", which has been closely related to the Old English verb "growan" - to grow. Both the Canadian government and the U.S. government have yet to regulate the use of the term "green", so marketers and companies are free to use it under whatever definition they choose, which typically ends up being to sell products that people assume are "natural" and good for them. The word, the colour, so quickly captures our imagination and conjures up feelings of protection and love for what we are ultimately attached to, our planet, that we easily fall prey to this marketing tactic.
Use of the word green certainly ignites debate for some and warrants discussion by all of us. Other words exist, like sustainability, which I'm sure makes some cringe at its mere mention. I for one am hoping we come up with some new vocabulary for what it is we're trying to do here.
What language do you think we should be using to describe this current effort we are making to lessen our impact and improve our health and the health of our planet?
No comments:
Post a Comment