BEING GREEN DOESN'T MEAN BUYING MORE

IT has never been so trendy to be green. By that I don't mean that
suddenly everyone is installing solar panels at home or making a
commitment to reduce, reuse and recycle as many goods as possible. Now
you can think of yourself as an environmental champion just by going
shopping.

These days the greening of America seems to be all about spending
money, sometimes silly amounts of money, to buy stuff simply because
it is labeled "organic," "sustainable" or carries some other tag that
reassures the buyer that the purchase is environmentally friendly.

There's no doubt that in many cases, it does cost more to buy products
that use alternative energy sources -- hybrid cars come to mind. Many
people, myself included, believe that spending more on organic foods
is worthwhile because they are healthier and they require fewer
harmful chemicals to produce.

But lately I'm noticing that one of the guiding principles of
environmentalism -- that overconsumption leads to a heedless use of
resources, hence we should all consume less -- has undergone a strange
twist. The more upbeat-sounding message that's gaining traction today
is that, actually, buying more is a great idea. Just make sure what
you buy has all the correct green buzzwords attached to it.

That many of these so-called green items are exorbitantly priced only
seems to add to their cachet. I knew that marketers had razzle-dazzled
me when I was tempted by a recent Crate & Barrel ad for a gorgeous
white sofa "designed for the home we call Earth," with a frame
"certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative" and cushions that
are "environmentally renewable" -- all for $1,999.

Putting aside the question of what an environmentally renewable
cushion might be (it reupholsters itself?), I have to question whether
there are any genuine benefits from paying more to be eco-chic.
Consider the designer hemp dress I saw recently for $185.

Hemp is a fiber that grows naturally and prolifically and it needs
little by way of pesticides (although it is not yet a commercial crop
in the United States, because of its association with its psychoactive
cousin marijuana). I would happily buy a dress made from an
environmentally low-impact fiber like hemp -- just don't try to sell
it to me for $185.

I felt the same sticker-shock when I got the March issue of Domino,
the upscale shelter magazine, which featured the supermodel Shalom
Harlow on the cover, along with the headline, "125 seriously cute
eco-makeover ideas for every room." I stopped reading after learning
that paint with fewer volatile organic compounds would set me back
about $80 a gallon, or a davenport made with pesticide-free wool
padding and water-based glue would cost about $1,700.

Then again, I'm not a chemist. Maybe it does benefit the earth to pay
a steep green premium for these products, because by doing so you are
supporting alternative means of manufacturing. But when you see $245
for Levi's "eco 501" jeans -- or even $7.99 for a quart of Mrs.
Meyer's all-purpose cleaner, which is "made with natural essential
oils" and is "biodegradable and phosphate-free" -- you have to wonder
where your money is going.

At least, I wonder. Call me old-fashioned, but since when does
environmentally friendly have to mean financially excessive? I grant
you, there's nothing sexy about the motto "reduce, reuse, recycle,"
but it's probably better for the planet and almost certainly better
for your household budget to think of consuming less, not more --
especially if you're spending your money just because it feels good,
looks good or carries the right set of adjectives.

IT'S not that I'm opposed to some of the efforts to make many of the
things we need more environmentally sustainable. But I find myself
more inspired by a coalition like the Compact, a nationwide network of
people who have resolved to stop buying anything new (with the
exception of some personal items), and instead to purchase used goods
or refurbish what they already own.

If you are going to invest extra money in a greener lifestyle, there
are plenty of ways to do so that don't necessarily involve going to
the mall.

In the name of greater energy efficiency, my husband and I are
replacing some old windows, we try to drive as little as possible and
right now we are testing one of these energy-efficient compact
fluorescent bulbs in a lamp in our bedroom.

These are small steps, but just as spending more for organic foods
seems like a good investment, I think paying extra for new windows or
higher-priced light bulbs keeps us moving in the right direction. They
lack the glam factor of a designer hemp frock, but there you go.