A neo-Jacobin: If it's so hard being green, why bother?

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

If it's so hard being green, why bother?

The other day I watched a TV show by the BBC 2 called 'It's Not Easy Being Green'. The show tracks the progress of the Strawbridge family (above) and their desire (or obsession) to reduce their ecological 'footprint', in a muddy field, somewhere in Cornwall. In this particular show, the Strawbridge family were getting ready for their 'ecological audit'. Dick Strawbridge, who narrates the show, and sports a ridiculous moustache, is optimistic that their 'sustainable' home will pass the 'ecological audit' with flying colours.

To tell you the truth, after seeing what they spent their £100,000 on, in their home, I thought they would do exceedingly well too. To my surprise, the 'ecological auditor' brought the families home to task on a variety of issues. At one point, the auditor only gave the family '5 out of 10' for fixing a basic generator and for installing an 'eco central heating system'. The Strawbridge families back-breaking hard work was only getting them 5 out 10 points, or 6 out of 10 - and, did it seem worth all that trouble - I think not.

Just like the BBC comedy show The Good Life, it's become very fashionable for the middle-classes to be self-sufficient, whether their in the leafy south London suburb of Surbiton, or in a muddy field in Cornwall - they, like most environmentalists are obsessed about consumer consumption. They hate the 'David Beckhams' of this world, who are quite happy spending their way into the future (and good-luck to them), rather than being like the Strawbridge family who are obsessed with making sure that their 'ecological footprint' is as small as humanly possible. If it's so hard to be green, it makes you wonder if it's even worth being green in the first place - I say why bother?

Picture: The Strawbridge Family. BBC Programmes

1 Comments:

At 5:43 PM, Daniel of "Daniels Counter" said...: Well I should know. I once was member of the Greens in the UK. If you really want a critical assay on them check out their manifesto and have a go at that, if that's not enough check their wired international policies (such as forced child bearing restrictions). Further I resigned naturally because their diversity was beyond all acceptable forms - worde than what you expect in teh tory party. It was more of a KEEP ENGLAND CLEAN experience at the end. The damage my year with them has done on my attitude towards that party is still not healed.