Earth Day Exposed

Exposing “Going Green”

By Charlie Melton

I really intended to write a nice, feel good piece on Earth Day, which is the 22^nd of April. A key tenant of this is “going green”. Going green is good for the earth. I really want to do that because I like the earth quite a bit. I've lived on it most of my life, and it hasn't killed me yet. I really want to do that but I can’t. I can’t because I did my research and I won’t lie to you.

Earth Day was started in 1970. Though I didn't find anything that said so, I assume it is an outgrowth of the hippie movement of the 60’s. That gives it a “coolness factor”, which I like. It also coincides with Vladimir Lenin’s 100^th birthday, which I don’t like. For you youngsters that don’t know, Lenin is the guy that brought Russia a revolution and communism, and the rest of the world a cold war. He was known as the leader of the commies, also known as “reds”. It’s probably just a coincidence that Earth Day is on his birthday. It would be paranoid to think otherwise. My research just made me paranoid.

Earth Day is an international event endorsed by the U.N. We all have opinions on the U.N. and for most of us it’s not favorable. I think they’re just another group of egomaniacs intent on telling me what to do.

The focus for this year’s international Earth Day is “Green Cities”. That seems like a good idea on the surface, because most of the cities I’ve been in could use some greening up. What could be so bad about that? City people growing gardens have to be a good thing. I looked up a green city in Virginia. They have more rules than a maximum security prison.  They’re green because green is good for you and you’re going to like it or else. When you build you pick one of 5 exterior finishes. There are a plethora of 7 materials to pick from. You don’t get to pick the atrium garden because you’re going to get one whether you like it or not. . Hooray, it’s Earth Day.

Do you have the curly compact fluorescent light bulbs? They use less energy than other bulbs. They’re “Earth Day” compliant. That means they’re “green”, so that makes it OK paying ten prices for one. They’re green unless you break one. According to the EPA if you break a CFL bulb you have to evacuate the room, turn off the ventilation, and do a lot of other things. Hooray, it’s Earth Day.

While we’re on the subject of electricity, hybrid cars are green. We believe that they’re energy efficient and good for the earth because “they” say so. I've found it requires more energy to make a hybrid car than to make a regular car. You make up the difference in gas, though. You’ll save about $300 a year on gas, and after only 7 years you’ll offset the higher cost of the hybrid. You’ll offset the cost unless you have to buy a battery pack for several thousand dollars. Hooray, it’s Earth Day.

The E.P.A. really made up my mind on the “Earth Day”-Lenin connection. They’re heavily into the Earth Day/Green Cities. One of their key indicators for a green city is equal distribution of wealth. For us familiar with communism, this is their thing. I couldn't believe I found this in the literature from our own government but I found it and many other troubling statements. Hooray, it’s Earth Day.

To sum it up I found that the United Nations likes Earth Day. They like “going green” as well. Going green means I use the things they want me to use, live the way they want me to live, and share my money with people who don’t have any. Am I paranoid, or is green the new red?

 Hooray, it’s Earth Day.