Cross posted to Pagan Vigil and Technopagan Yearnings.

I don't like Earth Day.

Gods, do I take flack on that one.

To me, it's a way to claim credit for environmental activities without actually doing anything.

It's like if you celebrate Earth Day, you get credit for your environmental sins.

One of the things that has really been hitting this year is advertising green products. I have no idea what NBC/Universal does to justify the green label, but they are certainly telling you about it. So when I turn on my Doctor Who, I get to hear all about it. Meanwhile I check out their site (which is the whole idea, it's all about advertising dollars), and their green tips include buying organic cotton clothing which I find fascinating when contrasting with the bit on food. See, they like locally produced food because it's local and "cuts" down on energy costs (not necessarily, but I'll let them have that one this time around), but organic cottons are better even if they have to be trucked in.

See, it's not about solving the problem. It's about going through the motions and looking concerned.

Here's what you won't be told.

Most green products do not make a significant difference over the "normal" products.

Most companies that advertise green products especially around Earth Day could care less, it's all about moving the product. They would make it purple plaid and tasting of sour snot if it would sell more. Green is an advertising gimmick, nothing more.

Some environmental products (i.e. compact fluorescent light bulbs) are actually worse for the environment, and may have harmful effects on some of the population. Not to mention not being as useful as the products that they are supposed to replace. It's a matter of tradeoffs, increase the "green' and you increase the costs.

Don't believe me? What about what happened when ethanol was supposed to save us all? No one told you that biofuels had a bigger impact on the environment. Or that the rising prices of corn raised the threat of hunger in the Third World. Or how it triggered a milk shortage.

All to be green.

Look, the whole premise of the global warming movement is that humans put too much carbon dioxide into the environment. Do you know how Nature handles carbon dioxide?

Plants breathe it in and give off oxygen. So why aren't we planting more trees?

See, I don't care if you own a hybrid car. I don't care if you buy environmentally approved products. I don't care if you marched against pesticides. The way I look at it, it's another version of Christmas.

The celebrating that someone does at Christmas doesn't tell me a thing about the kind of person that they are. What did they do the other three hundred and sixty-four days of the year? I'm not saying that you have to spend every afternoon volunteering at the food bank or give a third of your income to the battered women's shelter, but one or two days does not make a good person.

What you do on Earth Day doesn't tell me what kind of person you are.

And this commercialized version of environmental awareness (but ONLY when it's CONVENIENT!), well, you can put it where the sun don't shine.

And now, if you'll pardon me, I'm going to go commune with the Sun.