Asheville is a beautiful city. It has a rich and diverse history. In part, I moved here because there is such a push towards an environmentally friendly direction, and I am thrilled to be a part of it. However, when I look around, I grow increasingly concerned about the direction the sustainability movement is taking.
“Green business” is becoming a huge market in this area, and while I think it is wonderful that people are becoming more aware of their impact, I find it difficult to put faith in an industry whose main goal is profit—green or otherwise.
Sustainability is a comprehensive word that means to keep in existence, but also to supply with necessities, to keep from falling or sinking, and to support the spirits and vitality of something. Looking around Asheville, I have seen 7,000-square-foot “green” homes scattered across our hills and nestled protectively inside gated communities; homes bought in lower-income neighborhoods, “greened” and then flipped; organic food sold at Wal-Mart; and $500,000 downtown condos whose major selling point is their “greenness.”
While I recognize that not all green businesses operate in the same way, I would like to caution people against assuming that “green” is always good. It ultimately cannot be our solution. If we want to live in a sustainable community, we need to abandon our excessive lifestyles—not “greenwash” them. We need to look beyond ourselves to our neighborhoods and come up with solutions that are not only environmentally sustainable, but solutions that will help preserve our community.
— Clare Jones
Asheville
Finally someone actually speaks the truth! Take the U.K. for example – they have been living a more simplistic life for many years now – smaller cars, smaller homes, modern conveniences, etc. The US is a nation full of greedy, consumptive individuals who need a real wake-up call on how a community should actually operate. Thanks for sharing your opinion – it was very insightful!