Earth Day Hits 40

By John Vlahakis

Happy 40^th Earth Day! I’m sure you’ve been bombarded with enough happy Earth Day commercialism. This week all retailers and brands are touting to you just how green they are, even our government spends money on touting their greenness this week as well. Press releases abound on to the merits of being green. Even Earth Friendly Products jumps on that bandwagon. Though we have something to celebrate today. Our Illinois manufacturing facility just activated their new solar panel roof array this week, and like all good self-promoters we invited in the media to take a look. I do get a kick out of companies that tout their greenness around this time of year. Especially those that are trying to go green to cash in on the growing green marketplace. Can’t say that I blame them, but trying to talk the walk, instead of walking the walk will not get you far with today’s informed consumer. It’s kind of hard for a company that makes its living selling bleach, to claim they are now a green company, trying to sell you green household products. Or even your local grocery store that highlights the few green items they are selling, to make you think they are now your local green store. We’re bombarded a lot around this time of year with green messages. Almost as bad as the holiday shopping frenzy that greets us around Halloween. Personally, I’m tired of making all of this green hoopla up for one day. Being green does not come just once a year. Being green does not mean I’ll buy something green for one day, or contribute money to a green cause on this day. Being green is a choice. It’s a choice you make to being green every day, and not just on that one-day we call Earth Day.