Are you as cool as this guy?

A few months ago, my husband and I were visiting his grandmother and some members of his extended family. During a lull in the conversation, my husband’s aunt leaned forward and asked us, “So, have y’all ‘gone green’ yet?” My husband and I were confused. What was she talking about? we wondered. It took me a few minutes to realize she was asking if we had boarded the bandwagon to Cool Town. She was referring to the trend du jour:Green-ness.

As an Environmental Studies major, I spend 10 hours a day immersed in literature and conversations about energy, sustainable agriculture, soil degradation, and the integrity of water supplies as part of my coursework, and because I’m interested in these issues. I wouldn’t classify myself as “green” because I don’t really know what that’s supposed to mean. I do make some environmentally responsible choices that are practical to my life and income: I recycle, I compost, I hang my clothes on a line instead o using a dryer, I carpool, I don’t eat a lot of meat. As my education has expanded, I have altered my choices in accordance with a deepened awareness. Maybe my husband’s aunt simply forgot that I study the environment and human impact thereon. But her question about “going green” highlights an interesting cultural phenomenon. (more…)