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Is green living just for the rich?

When a clebrity celebrates green living, one standard reply: I can't afford it. Is the slow food movement only for latte-sipping Prius drivers?
Written by Harry Fuller, Contributor

When a clebrity celebrates green living, one standard reply: I can't afford it. Is the slow food movement only for latte-sipping Prius drivers? Here in my semi-rural part of Oregon the locally-produced, organic cheeses cost at least double what the mass produced cheeses cost at the big chain groceries. Henry Ford unleashed the devil when he proved the economic efficacy of mass production. It now dominates the food business, industrial fuel for the human body. It may not be good for us, but it sure is good for business.

The buzz-words abound around green living. And they seem to cost more. Fair trade. Shade-grown coffee. Organic. No preservatives. Carbon neutral. No articifical additives. Remember when you paid MORE to have lead-free gasoline?

In the hardware we still see LEDs more expensive than CFLs which are, in turn, more expensive than incandescent bulbs. A recent study shows that CFL penetration in the lighting market in the U.S. is about 23% and has not increased since mid-2008. One reason is surely price of replacement in a sour economy.

Chart courtesy NEMA.

An efficient furnace or wood stove costs more than the less efficient or older models. Energy-efficient appliances are more expensive than the wasteful cheapies. It's much cheaper for me to drive somewhere than try to use our crapola rail system. Are the bicycle and show-leather the last energy-efficient products is still cheaper than its energy-wasting competition. [poll id="131"]

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