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sunnyplus3
:)
Member since 11/05 8749 total posts
Name:
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Another "green living" poll, if you can stand it
The last poll on this subject and then the question about what people like Frank perdue & Jimmy dean eat triggered responses like
green living is too expensive"
or
"organic chicken is 4 times the price"
these are both statements that I find to be true. I have noticed IRL with co-workers & friends that a lot of people say this is why they don't change their choices. Lots of these same people spent $$$$$$ on new kitchens for example though, with fancy stone counters & the highest end appliances. Many of them even borrowed equity from their homes to complete such luxurious renovations.
So it makes me ponder whether or not green living is TOO expensive or just not a priority too most.
I'd rather have formica counters & eat & feed my family food that I believe to be generally safe & free of animal cruelty practices than have a super-luxe kitchen & buy the "cheaper" food to cook in it.
How do you feel? Is high end "stuff" of more value to you, or would you rather live more simply & have money in the budget for green living?
I'm also curious to hear other points of view on this.
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Posted 1/18/08 6:28 AM  |
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SweetestOfPeas
J'taime Paris!
Member since 3/06 32345 total posts
Name:
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Re: Another "green living" poll, if you can stand it
Posted by KellyFG
I'd rather have formica counters & eat & feed my family food that I believe to be generally safe & free of animal cruelty practices than have a super-luxe kitchen & buy the "cheaper" food to cook in it.
isn't formica made from plastic (resin)? I thought making plastic and vinyl was bad for the environment b/c it's made with fossil fuels 
to answer your Q, I don’t buy organic food b/c I honestly can’t tell the difference in flavor. That said, I refuse to pay so much more $ for it.
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| Posted 1/18/08 7:48 AM |
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Chatham-Chick
*********************
Member since 5/05 10311 total posts
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Re: Another "green living" poll, if you can stand it
Might seem strange, but I always viewed organic foods as a luxury item.
Aren't most of the stores that are geared towards selling primarily organic products in wealthier towns, such as Whole Foods?
Many of the people that I know that do have high-end kitchens are very conscious about buying organic products. For my friends it's about eating healthier and not so much "green living".
ETA: for me it's about convenience, not cost. If I'm looking at an item and there's two different options, organic or not, I try and buy the organic, only because in my mind (thanks to marketing/advertising, not because of my own research) it's supposed to be healthier for my family. But I will not go out of my way to buy organic products.
Message edited 1/18/2008 9:21:17 AM.
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| Posted 1/18/08 9:18 AM |
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SweetTooth
I'm a tired mommy!
Member since 12/05 20105 total posts
Name:
Lauren
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Re: Another "green living" poll, if you can stand it
I think I was the one who posted about the price of the organic chicken, but thats all I buy
I am really making an effort to buy green. There are things that I want to do which are just out of my budget though, like installing solar panels. I also really want to get a hybrid car, but I am afraid that will be out of my price range too.
In terms of "everyday" items though, I always try to buy green, even if it is a little more expensive.
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| Posted 1/18/08 10:45 AM |
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sunnyplus3
:)
Member since 11/05 8749 total posts
Name:
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Re: Another "green living" poll, if you can stand it
Posted by SweetestOfPeas
Posted by KellyFG
I'd rather have formica counters & eat & feed my family food that I believe to be generally safe & free of animal cruelty practices than have a super-luxe kitchen & buy the "cheaper" food to cook in it.
isn't formica made from plastic (resin)? I thought making plastic and vinyl was bad for the environment b/c it's made with fossil fuels
to answer your Q, I don?t buy organic food b/c I honestly can?t tell the difference in flavor. That said, I refuse to pay so much more $ for it.
Plastics are bad for the environment, particularly disposable plastics. The good thing about formica is that it has already proven itself able to last for 40 years or more, making its toll on the planet vs. its potential lifespan & usefulness a pretty fair trade-off.
Another beef I have with granite since we're discussing overall impact of counter surfaces is that is coming into the US mostly from places like India, Brazil, china & parts of Africa. Mining of any kind has a huge impact on our environment, shipping slabs of granite to the U.S. from any of these places is a huge use of oil, not to mention the machinery used here to refine into products.
Additionally granite is porous & can hold bacteria unless sealed or treated. I wouldn't feel comfortable using a surface treated with toxic sealers & chemicals to prep my food.
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| Posted 1/18/08 3:55 PM |
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dm24angel
Happiness
Member since 5/05 34581 total posts
Name:
Donna
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Re: Another "green living" poll, if you can stand it
It more expensive b/c the animals are raised differently.
They are antibiotic free..
Ever wonder WHY an animal is given antobiotics? Because its SICK. The animals you eat are sick, even antibiotics to keep them alive and so its less expenisive to house 50 cows in tight quarters sick or not, then only 2 who are raised freely.
For me, and my family, the risk is not one I take often...I buy organic as much as I possibly can.
Pesticides kill, its true, but they kill in subtle ways, so no one who gets cancer is gonna say, I bet it was from the cabbage I ate...they are gonna think they just had crap luck ya know?
I think that people think organic is about "taste"...no its about no harmful additives etc.
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| Posted 1/18/08 3:59 PM |
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DirtyBlonde
*****
Member since 11/07 7344 total posts
Name:
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Re: Another "green living" poll, if you can stand it
I'm all over the place with this.
Using food as an example, I will spend more on certain things (cage free eggs, horomone free meats, certain fruits and vegetables). But at the same time, when I see organic grapes from Chile, I cringe. Yeah, they're organic but they also had to be flown up so that I could buy them.
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| Posted 1/18/08 3:59 PM |
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sunnyplus3
:)
Member since 11/05 8749 total posts
Name:
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Re: Another "green living" poll, if you can stand it
Posted by Chatham-Chick
Might seem strange, but I always viewed organic foods as a luxury item.
Aren't most of the stores that are geared towards selling primarily organic products in wealthier towns, such as Whole Foods?
Many of the people that I know that do have high-end kitchens are very conscious about buying organic products. For my friends it's about eating healthier and not so much "green living".
ETA: for me it's about convenience, not cost. If I'm looking at an item and there's two different options, organic or not, I try and buy the organic, only because in my mind (thanks to marketing/advertising, not because of my own research) it's supposed to be healthier for my family. But I will not go out of my way to buy organic products.
I agree the stores like whole foods, wild by nature & even trader Joes are usually in wealthier areas. I have a patient that is in the business of developing shopping centers & malls & he told me Trader Joes requires a median income of 150k for their tri-state area stores.
This all goes back to the problem I have with our regulatory agencies like the USDA, crappy food is cheap & poor uneducated people don't have a choice or the knowledge & we are creating a vicious cycle by feeding those children crappy food. Good, healthy food should not be sold at a premium, it should accessible & available to everyone in this country. Food should not be a luxury.
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| Posted 1/18/08 4:01 PM |
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sunnyplus3
:)
Member since 11/05 8749 total posts
Name:
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Re: Another "green living" poll, if you can stand it
Posted by DirtyBlonde
I'm all over the place with this.
Using food as an example, I will spend more on certain things (cage free eggs, horomone free meats, certain fruits and vegetables). But at the same time, when I see organic grapes from Chile, I cringe. Yeah, they're organic but they also had to be flown up so that I could buy them.
I agree with this so I try to eat i more of a locavore style. I try to limit exotic fruits & veggies & buy as much as I can that's grown locally, much easier to do in the summer & fall.
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| Posted 1/18/08 5:01 PM |
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Whamtastic
LIF Adult
Member since 1/07 997 total posts
Name:
Big Fat Baby with a Blackberry
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Re: Another "green living" poll, if you can stand it
Posted by KellyFG
Good, healthy food should not be sold at a premium, it should accessible & available to everyone in this country. Food should not be a luxury.
I voted "other," because I don't think of most "green" things as a luxury, but just as the price of life - yes, a can of organic beans costs $0.10 more than the traditional ones, but to me, organic is a no-brainer - we're not filthy rich, but we certainly make enough to buy food that is going to promote and protect our good health. I also try to buy as much locally grown produce as possible (except for my husband's constant need for bananas). Green cleaning products are more expensive, but since those aren't a regular expense, it doesn't bother me.
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| Posted 1/18/08 5:15 PM |
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colesmom
Brady's mom too!
Member since 5/05 1989 total posts
Name:
Lea
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Re: Another "green living" poll, if you can stand it
I 100% agree with this -- my observations exactly.
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| Posted 1/18/08 5:18 PM |
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Candy Girl
Candy girl- you are so sweet!
Member since 11/07 6349 total posts
Name:
erin
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Re: Another "green living" poll, if you can stand it
I do buy organic/antibiotic meat, produce and cage free eggs for the most part, but sometimes I wonder if it is true, or if I am being taken for a ride. I mean you can't visibly see the difference, so it would be easy to "trick" people. I heard someone at work saying that there is no such thing as "certified organic"...yet.
Is that true?
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| Posted 1/18/08 5:21 PM |
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Whamtastic
LIF Adult
Member since 1/07 997 total posts
Name:
Big Fat Baby with a Blackberry
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Re: Another "green living" poll, if you can stand it
Posted by Snickers
I do buy organic/antibiotic meat, produce and cage free eggs for the most part, but sometimes I wonder if it is true, or if I am being taken for a ride. I mean you can't visibly see the difference, so it would be easy to "trick" people. I heard someone at work saying that there is no such thing as "certified organic"...yet.
Is that true?
Not true.
USDA Organic Progam
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| Posted 1/18/08 5:27 PM |
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sunnyplus3
:)
Member since 11/05 8749 total posts
Name:
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Re: Another "green living" poll, if you can stand it
Posted by Whamtastic
Posted by Snickers
I do buy organic/antibiotic meat, produce and cage free eggs for the most part, but sometimes I wonder if it is true, or if I am being taken for a ride. I mean you can't visibly see the difference, so it would be easy to "trick" people. I heard someone at work saying that there is no such thing as "certified organic"...yet.
Is that true?
Not true.
USDA Organic Progam
Wham is right, the organic guidelines are real & enforced. I can give my eggs away(from my chickens) with a label that says "organic, omega-3, free range eggs" but if I wanted to sell them I need to remove the word organic because my "farm" has not been certified by the USDA. Its punishable by multiple fines.
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| Posted 1/18/08 7:08 PM |
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