Scientists have estimated that the natural carrying capacity for humans is under 2 billion, and possibly even under 1 billion. There are now 6.7 billion people. Choosing not to have children is possibly the most environmentally decision anyone can make to conserve resources and reduce pollution. China and India realized this ages ago. The eco-moms who still manage to maintain expensive consumerist lifestyles despite dabbling around the edges with “green” products need to realize this too.

If you think this is unreasonable or a joke, an Australian academic seriously proposed in December that that country impose a carbon tax on each child born to each couple after the second. This is significant because Oz has actually instituted a series of incentives for each child born-incentives this professor says should be eliminated. And he noted specifically that it makes no sense for Oz to encourage having children when China has strict population policies. We all live on the same planet, and our decisions to have excessive numbers of children today affects everyone else, like it or not.

In a second class exercise submitted by a second ecowife, a vague argument was made that hinted our water treatment plants weren’t creating pure enough tap water. To this I replied that the ecologically conscious scientists who chose to work at those plants (with their families living nearby) were probably doing a diligent, consciencious job of cleaning up the water. I also stated that her writing implied a premise of there being a Golden Age Health via Pure Water in the 19th Century. But the 19th Century was characterized by a very high birth mother and infant mortality rate which even took the life of the wealthy Theodore Roosevelt’s first wife.

After criticizing these two women, I also want to state that the fault lies with the Green Movement’s guilt trip trumpeted in television, magazines, political parties, Al Gore’s movie, etc. They all have conspired to make these women feel guilty and not good enough Daughters of Mother Earth. These women need a champion like you, Laura, to tell them they are OK and worthy human beings if they don’t sew their own teepee and wash their family’s clothes in a stream with homemade soap, like Martha Stewart seems to do (if you believe every image you see on television).

Whatever problems we have today, will not be solved by Greenpeace arranging ecoguilt trips.

It would be pure genius if this “global warming” was simply the marketing/advertising money-making tool.

Pure genius.

That size of carbon offset is available from Terrapass.com for $198, Self.org for $200 and The Center for Environmental Leadership for $240.

I offer a better deal. For just $150 I will not fly 100,000 miles this year. What is more, I will donate half of what I get to feed and educate needy orphans.

If there is enough interest, I will refrain from flying 1,000,000 miles this year. Half of all funds will go to needy orphans.

This is a verifiable reduction in my potential carbon footprint for 2008. You don’t have to worry about whether a project will actually reduce the carbon footprint. I can guarantee results.

When I built a couple of years ago using a lot of green materials, it was really hard since finding them in my area was next to impossible. Now, there are so many wonderful products out there because people are receptive to them.

I am not going to deny that there is overconsumption and people will say they are green as a status symbol.

However, I also believe people are going to consume no matter what and telling people not to is naive. At least they will be buying green, which one more step that they may not have done before.

Would I like people to buy in moderation and reuse what already is? Absolutely. However, everyone has their own priorities and agendas whether the rest of us like it not.

Like Leah, I started a blog, http//:www.green-talk.com to help people to build green from my own experiences. It has morphed into more of a green living site. I try and alert people to reusing and recycling based upon my own experiences. I can only hope that some people who read my blog will learn by my way of life and try changing theirs. I know I have learned a lot from my own readers.

So, if I am considered an EcoMom, then I join the crowd, but without the preaching.

Like Dan said, baby steps for now as well providing choices. You get a lot more done with honey than vingear.

http://www.snpp.com/episodes/CABF01

What a strange contradiction.

Damned if we do, damned if we don’t.