The Economy and the Environment

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A movement slowly gaining speed in our current economic climate says that the economy and the environment impact each other, both negatively and positively. The movement contends that the recession will positively impact the environment, that the current economic situation we find ourselves in is simply a recalibration of our society. Consumerist excess gives way to environmental concern.

People are more concerned with value now. Value is inherently intertwined with environmental friendliness. Instead of buying artificial chemical cleaners, people are buying, for example, vinegar. The average person could buy a gallon of vinegar for less than the price of a small can of commercial cleaner. Vinegar is natural and safe for the environment. Vinegar has many uses for cleaning, from kitchen and bathroom cleaning to cleaning wood and windows.

Many grocery stores are offering a small amount of money back to the consumer if the consumer reuses a paper or plastic bag or a reusable canvas bag. Most stores will offer about five cents a bag. Five cents does not seem like a lot of money, but over the coarse of the year, if the consumer uses 4 bags per week and gets twenty cents back at the grocery store per week, the consumer can save more than ten dollars a year. In an economic environment in which everyone is trying to save money whenever and wherever they can, ten dollars a year can really add up.

Major purchases especially are effected by this new value-conscious consumer. Most people would rather buy a mid-sized car that gets 35 miles to the gallon than an sport utility vehicle that gets 12 miles to the gallon. By buying a more fuel-efficient vehicle, the consumer saves money on gas every week. In an effort to save money, people are helping to save our planet, whether they realize it, or even mean to, or not.

Gardening is an easy way to save money and lessen one's carbon footprint. Instead of getting in the car and going to the store to buy food that was shipped to the store in a semi, one can walk out to the garden and pick food fresh that they raised from seed. Fresh food has more available nutrients and is better for eating than food that is already two weeks old by the time it is consumed. The average family can save five hundred dollars per year on an average garden.

Does the economy effect the environment? It is this author's contention that yes, the environment is effected by the economy.

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mommierose

MommieRose writes for various websites, including Xomba, Bukisa, eHow, Write Now with Mommie Rose, and the Quintessential Cheapskate. As the name implies, MommieRose is a mother and avid gardener.