Buying Our Way Out of This

It seems that "green commerce" is getting some legs. I like the concept of everyone helping out by changing their buying habits. A nice way to ease into it. Question is, have we passed the "ease into it" stage?

A co-worker brought up Green.tv as a new media company focusing on all things green (aptly so). I like their recently launched NewConsumer channel, which is about fair trade and ethical shopping. This is tapping into the broader consumer interest in “green commerce”, similar to ShopGreen from PriceGrabber.com, the broader ENERGY STAR movement, etc.

Another budding idea is the Interra Project, backed by one of the founders of Odwalla.

And there are a variety of new media properties popping up in the broader green space, including Building Green TV and competing green ad networks from Lime and SustainLane, which is great.

Consumerism may be here to stay; can we buy our way back to sustainability by applying consumer marketing vs. cause marketing concepts to effect consumer change? Check out EcoAmerica and the LOHAS study for more ideas.