Is the Age of Green Economy Finally Here?

That’s the question writer Hunter Jackson asks in this Alternet essay. While news of ecological degradation is most likely to make the front page, Jackson points out that many Americans are changing the ways they spend their money and live their lives in order to address environmental concerns. The essay focuses on several trends that seem to have gone mainstream, including purchasing Fair Trade goods, investing in renewable energy and patronizing local businesses. Without broader national standards and coordination between various movements for more sustainable economic practices, though, Jackson argues that much green economic activity fails to register in the national consciousness.

Clearly, many good things are happening in this arena, but, as we’ve discussed here, words and phrases like “sustainability” and “green business” tend to elicit either misinformation or blank stares. I’m not hopeful of getting much attention in the political arena presently, so how can we take the energy and enthusiasm present at events like the Green Business Conference and spread the word to the masses? Or, is it happening and I’m just impatient?

Categories: green, sustainability, economy, fair trade, renewable, energy, local, business