Conscious Choice: A Frugal Environmentalist Squirms

October 2003 | Editor’s Note

A Frugal Environmentalist Squirms

Sticker shock! That’s simply the only way I can describe my reaction to the prices of the eco-friendly furniture that’s the focus of our cover story, "Building a Healthy Home." And, perhaps, once you’ve read the story, you’ll share my sentiment ...and the conundrum it presents for living a "Conscious Life."

Like many — probably most — of our readers, I personally work to be part of the solution as much as possible. I buy organic food and purchase "Fair Trade." I use biodegradable garbage and recycling bags and non-toxic cleaning products; I maintain a chemical-free lawn. I own some organic clothing and use the Greener Cleaner...you get the idea. And all of this by-and-large costs (often significantly) more than the conventional unhealthy, polluting stuff.

I don’t always do this as cheerfully as I could...I’m frugal at heart so I often swallow hard when, for instance, the computer register at Whole Foods flashes my total. However, it does help when I remember that cheaper conventional goods have hidden costs that go beyond what we pay at the counter. For conventional food, figure in the aftermath of the toxic farm chemicals that ravage the land and water, harm the animals (including us!), the clean-up of agricultural disasters, the social injustice that multinationals foist upon the peoples of other countries and, lest we forget, the tax money we (ironically) pay for farm subsidies to keep conventional farming going.

Hence, the justification for paying the extra percentage for sustainable goods speaks to me loud and clear — and it usually drowns out the squeaks that I emit as part of the "so tight she squeaks" phenomenon. Mostly, I can afford to be part of the solution and often I’m in a better position to fork out the money than many others I know in our "Conscious Community" — like my divorced friend with three kids who struggles to make ends meet yet insists on feeding her little ones "clean" food.

This last summer The New York Times wrote about people who have the means to fuel the sustainable movement. On July 20, the Times ran a story entitled "They Care About the World (and They Shop, Too)" pointing out that $230 billion was spent in 2000 by people "who worry about the environment."

So I go back to the issue of my sticker shock on prices of sustainable furniture. Those of us in the "Conscious Community" are well aware that our efforts are helping to create a culture of solutions to restore the Earth and improve the environment by changing the world (which, of course, is what this magazine is all about). But it takes time, as they say, to turn the ship around. And I suppose it begins with those who can afford to pay the price that is demanded for early innovations. Remember the introduction of VCRs, cell phones, and, most recently, hybrid cars? They were prohibitively expensive initially but as manufacturing of them became more widespread (for better or worse), prices moderated or eventually fell. We’re seeing some of this happening today in the organic food sector as the acreage of organic farmland increases.

Currently, making sustainable furniture is a labor-intensive process with relatively few manufacturers in this specialized area. By opting to buy these products, those of us who can afford to purchase them are creating a demand that’ll result in increased supply and competition (economics 101). The nagging question for me is, just how long will it be before those who are less fortunate can afford to pursue the same healthy and sustainable quality of life that’s available to those with deeper pockets? Part of the answer clearly rests with those of us who can ante up in these early days. — Rebecca Ephraim

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