13 ways to spot an eco-poser
by rd @ 2:27 pm 11 comments »
You know these people. Like me, you may also fit the description in those weak moments when convenience trumps sustainability (please step away from that 12 oz Evian bottle). We must all try to do ‘bettah.’
- They can be spotted with a ‘I’m Not a Plastic Bag’ dangling from their arm, swigging from a 32 oz ‘Smart Water’ bottle, while walking a dog bred in a cage in Kansas by a guy who dumps animal do-do in the stream behind his shed.
- They fervently support alternative energy but don’t want that wind turbine obscuring the view from their beach chair on their inherited ocean-front estate…right, Teddy?
- They just had solar panels installed on the ‘weekend’ house but leave the engine running on the Range Rover when they ‘pop’ into Starbucks for that latte.
- They fly thousands of miles to Hawaii and Bali for global warming conferences on the private jet and tool around paradise in a limo…Al?
- They strap-on an organic cotton ‘Stop the Emissions’ t-shirt under a Prada, croc jacket, and accessorize with a stunning pair of ‘blood’ diamond earrings for the drive with their assistant to the mailbox with that fat donation to ‘Save the Whales’ - on their way to the airport for the flight to Sundance for a series of glutton-ish pseudo-celeb, swag parties.
- They religiously watch Nat Geo, Animal Planet and Discovery Channel on the 27 flat-panel tv’s in their geo-thermal powered home.
- They do a documentary on global warming and then fly around the globe chasing eco-tail…Leo?
- They’re on both the mailing list for PETA and the Victoria’s Secret catalog.
- They purchase carbon offsets, drive a Bentley, eat only the finest steaks, burn 50,000 kilowatts a day in their 5 homes, support solar but think the panels look ‘icky’ on the Spanish villa they bought from that poor bastard in Paraguay.
- They wear a ‘Global Warming’s Not Hot’ t-shirt while exposing their privates to 300 or so SUV-driving-paparazzi while bar-hopping…Paris, Lindsay…
- There’s a ‘Made in China’ label sticking out of their 100% jute gladiator sandals.
- As a presidential candidate, they make 12 speeches in support of alternative energy subsidies while flying to 7 states in 24 hours on 6 different private jets, accompanied by a 63-person entourage that caravans from speech to speech in a fleet of 15 overstuffed Escalades…Hillie, Barack?
- They write for an eco-friendly blog, but refuse to fix that dripping faucet in their bathroom…
tag it | digg it | hugg it | email this | trackback | link to this post
So, so true! I’m still waiting for the basic eco intelligence to arrive in Central Mass. I am consistently the only shopper in the grocery store with reusable bags!
#14 They say the U.S. is hooked on foreign oil and fly around the States in a 747 to make sure everyone gets the message…right George?
This list made me laugh! Unfortunately, eco-friendly is fast becoming a mere brand. People feel the need to shout “I’m green” without ever thinking about how hypocritical a lot of their actions are. Good post!
They eat meat/dairy while driving a Prius. What you eat matters more than what you drive people! The United Nations says so and so does everyone else. (rant: I get mad that so called greenies don’t give up meat when it’s so obviously terrible for the environment)
I get annoyed at vegans who diss everyone who eats meat when it’s not meat that is bad for the planets, it’s people who don’t eat locally. So unless you are growing your soy and rice, you need to re-think your superiority complex.
Wonderful commentary on the eco-poser. Maybe it’s easier for many of us to be “bettah” when we don’t have the money to be bad! Thanks for pointing out that we all must try harder. Now to fix that flapper on the toilet…
Right on, Gwenny. Beautifully put, funny, and oh, so true. Thank you!
I think this article has its heart in the right place (and the image is very funny), but I don’t agree with all of it.
I’m of the mind that we should all do what we can. Nobody can expect (or ask for) eco perfection from anyone else or even themselves. For instance, the article is hosted on a server that uses energy, right? With a computer with toxic components, right? But that’s OK… sort of.
We all have a footprint. The trick is living responsibly and daring to ask yourself if there’s something more you can do to live sustainably.
Great post!
But, for what it’s worth, 15 SUVs that seat 7 and are filled to capacity will collectively end up consuming less gas and emiting fewer emissions than 30 sedans (or econoboxes)collectively do driving the same distance and for the same amount of time. (It’s the 15 sets of emissions vs. the 30 sets of emissions that I’m getting at.)
This post falls in the category of a ‘rant’ and an attempt at humor. I was not being literal in any of these instances cited and did no or carbon footprint calculations in creating this post…
Just having some fun in the serious world of green blogs…
Social Definition of an Eco-poser: Someone who composes an online list about ways to identify people with whom they share many similar qualities.