green everything causing green burnout

when i visited the US in april, i posted about how “green marketing” seemed to be getting really excessive. apparently other people are feeling the same way:

A study by the Shelton Group, an advertising agency and market research company based in Knoxville, Tenn., that focuses on environmental products, showed that consumers surveyed in 2007 were between 22 and 55 percent less likely to buy a wide range of green products than in 2006. The slipping economy had an effect, but message overload appeared to be a major factor as well, said Suzanne C. Shelton, the company’s president.

in my opinion, a good simple start for environmentally responsible decision making is to ask yourself whether you really *need* to buy something. in general, the less you consume, the lower your impact on the environment.