Eco-friendly? Or just lame.

Hey, I appreciate the newest main-stream environmentalist wave. I'm down for wearing organic cotton, buying local (!!!!), and drooling over new hybrid car models. But why is it that when things really percolate through main stream culture, they tend to get a bit screwy? Like today, I was reading about the newest suburban-mom fad - being an "EcoMom." Apparently groups of these mothers get together to discuss environmental politics, and the best ways to "green" their home. The suburban mom is a force to be reckoned with, and it warms my heart to hear people discussing how we can decrease the negative environmental impacts of our every day actions.

(See the NY Times article at:
"For EcoMoms Saving the Earth Begins at Home")

However, because I can't help making fun of some aspects of the green-extreme, I will show you all a website I found while following up on the green mom article. It is called the "alternative gift registry" and it is an organization devoted to "greening" the wedding gift tradition. Here are some of their sample wedding gift ideas:

1. Recipe cards:"John and I want to know your favorite recipes. We're especially looking for quick or crock-pot dinners, since we'll both be working full time and will be hungry and out of energy when it's time to cook, but we're also really eager for holiday and dessert recipes that are worth a little extra effort.'

2. Cleaning 911: "We're hopeless at cleaning, and are looking for two or three experts who could give us their best tips then wouldn't mind if we called or emailed during our first year for those little emergencies (like when I spill red wine all over our brand new tablecloth)."



(To visit this site, see http://www.alternativegiftregistry.org/)


Hmmmm...lets not kid ourselves, fellow lovers of the environment. These are not wedding gifts. In fact, they sound suspiciously like things friends do for eachother all the time, no wedding required. If I was going to get a green wedding gift, how about a mini-composter for the kitchen, tons of organic chocolate or how about edible flowers (see below). Don't worry, there are non-lame green wedding options out there, so check out www.portovert.com to get some hip ideas.