Let me get this out of the way immediately: There is NO government or official definition for the term 'Environmentally Friendly.'
Those two little words have become an industry onto themselves. A marketing tool and claim by advertisers, manufactures and others to sell their products to the uninformed masses that want to do the right thing.
The term 'Greenwash' is now used to describe this type of disinformation.
It leaves an all together nasty taste in the consumer psyche.
I believe most people are enthusiastic and well intentioned when it comes to making a difference regarding their carbon print. However, and I stress this factor, there is no such thing as a free lunch.
It starts at the grocery store (the regular ones or the fancy 'healthy' ones) with the other key word in this "drama" Organic. Ironically enough, here is yet another word that the government has declined to officially define.
So, basically, Organic means :You pay more because we make it sound healthier
Next on the list of culpable words is Sustainability.
Originally it was meant to refer to the quality of a product. However, when it came to selling a green products it suddenly came to mean something that was produced using an equivalent amount of resources to those it consumed.
Think about that. It is simply not possible. But it sounds good, real good.
I have learned that as a Realtor I better understand that I can only use the term Sustainable with careful consideration when referring to a property. If at all.
Another rib tickler is Life-cycle cost. Like in those fancy light bulbs (the same ones that people are just finding out are pretty poisonous and dangerous to change, yeah...those).
If those fancy bulbs cost more to purchase but saves money on each utility bill, its cost over its lifetime may be less than the cheaper bulbs.
The cause that I seem to have taken on upon myself is that consumers have the right to know the ins and outs of this green movement. This is a cause that is in its infancy, and therefore Realtors and Consumers should be able to talk honestly with each other. If we don't know the answer, we can find out. That sounds respectable, and it is the truth.
Or we can make people feel guilty because they do not see the 'organic, sustainable, life-cycle' of this wonderful green property.
Your choice.
I know what I am doing.
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