The Times announced recently in an article by Alice Thomson thatSuddenly Being Green is no longer cool”. The article quotes Julie Burchill’s latest book as saying that environmentalists are po-faced, unsexy, public school alumni who drivel on about the end of the world because they don’t want the working classes to have any fun, go on foreign holidays or buy cheap clothes. Hmm, not sure that’s exactly what environmentalists are on about: I thought it was more about saving plants, animals, the human race and even Julie Burchill from extinction. Whatevah, as my kids say.
Alice Thomson goes on to comment that despite the fact that the sales of organic vegetables are going down, we’re being more green anyway because of the credit crunch (forced to grown our own vegetables, drive less and shop less). She seems a little confused over whether or not that’s a good thing (it is, Alice, if you need help) and at one Marie-Antoinetteish point says that the working classes are being helped out because they’re rediscovered cheap food: “Meanwhile the demand for takeaway pizzas and McDonald’s has risen as people find the cheapest way to eat”. Uh, excuse me, the cheapest way? I’ve never had change from a £10 note when buying pizza. Cheapest way to eat only if you’ve never learned to use a can-opener, or a saucepan, or an oven.
The Hippyshopper, meanwhile, asks Has the credit crunch made you less green?. Like me, it concludes that a lot of the lifestyle changes you can make will save money and take little or no effort, like growing your own vegetables or having a vegetable box delivered. Some of them will cost a bit more upfront but are worth the investment, like insulating your house or buying energy efficient appliances. And some are probably worth putting off unless you’ve got plenty of cash, like having a solar panel installed.