Chocolate Bar
Viva Terra

Are You an Eco Snob? 10 Sure Signs You've Gone Too Green

WP Greet Box icon
Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.

Are you too green for your own good? I’ve become so eco-conscious that I fear I’m annoying; like those supermarket ladies who serve up unsolicited advice to parents while their toddler is having a tantrum.

The first clue that I might be going overboard was when I realized that every coat pocket, handbag, and backpack had two of those small nylon reusable bags

tucked inside of them. Next, I noticed that a collection of BPA-free aluminum bottles had accrued in my kitchen cabinet. I began to snap at my husband if he didn’t properly separate every piece of paper to recycle, and would glare if he mail-ordered something that we could have found locally.

But when things started to go beyond the confines of our home, I should have realized that a problem was brewing. When my friend hit a Starbucks I nearly hissed at the poor barista because they don’t recycle the plastic cups, and last year I was way too close to getting surly with my neighbor when she pulled up in her new SUV that could house a small country.

Eco snobbery happens. Don’t let it happen to you! The warning signs:

1. Instead of giving out candy on Halloween you hand out compact fluorescent light bulbs.

2. You recently printed out 50 copies (on recycled paper) of the “worst cars for the environment” and your idea of a fun night was placing them under an offender’s windshield.

3. The last time you went to a friend’s house for dinner you made mental notes then on the way out, then presented them with a list of ways they can better green their home.

4. You sneer at anyone with a Zappos box in their trash because their “Free Shipping Both Ways” platform surely encourages people to buy three sizes of the same shoe, then ship back the others.

5. You’re guilty of spending your spare time playing with a carbon footprint calculator.

6. When you babysat for your neighbor’s 6-year-old you made her watch An Inconvenient Truth.

7. You’ve decided to postpone your New Year’s party until 1-20-09.

8. The last time you were at a family picnic you washed all of the plastic flatware.

9. You’ve replaced local movie listings from your toolbar with Green Meet Ups – and added a 60 mile radius.

10. A new colleague sincerely thought your last name was Evangelist.

If you’ve answered yes to more than three of the above, you’re sure to help save the earth, but you’ll be doing it alone!

Image: thomieh (not actually a snob)

Sara’s shameless plug: Hi, it’s your editor. De-lurk, dear reader, and leave this fabulous writer a comment. You can also share this post with friends ““ just click your favorite social bookmark listed below. New reader? Be sure to sign up for the weekly newsletter. You can also subscribe to any RSS feed your heart desires.



1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
Loading ... Loading ...

7 Comments

  • User Gravatar Sarah I
    July 23rd, 2008 at 12:06 pm

    Hahha that is so me. Snapping at my husband for tossing his glass bottle in the trash and not the recycling bin out back. My pockets and purses full of reusable plastic baggies. Yes, I even wash and reuse those clear produce bags. And as for our postponed New Year’s Party — that depends on if they allow a real election this time, or steal it away again!

  • User Gravatar Jennifer Taggart
    July 23rd, 2008 at 12:35 pm

    Ha~me too! But I’m not nearly as green as some – at BlogHer08 I ate with Beth from Fake Plastic Fish, and we turned down restaurants that didn’t have real silverware, plates and cups.

  • User Gravatar Serene Hanzo
    July 23rd, 2008 at 7:03 pm

    My inlaws are guilty of washing the plastic…ALL of it

    Fun article

  • User Gravatar Jennae @ Green Your Decor
    July 24th, 2008 at 7:35 am

    Is it bad that I think some of these are really great ideas? I definitely have stashes of reusable bags everywhere, and I’m guilty of washing plastic flatware. And now that you mention it, An Inconvenient Truth sounds like a good Saturday afternoon for my toddler and 9-year-old niece :)

  • User Gravatar Beth Grossman
    July 24th, 2008 at 12:17 pm

    Loved this article! I’m officially postponing my New Year’s party til 1-20-09. thank YOU!

  • User Gravatar Thomas Haverkamp
    November 7th, 2008 at 11:04 am

    Thanks for pointing out I am not a snob ^_^
    I agree that one should not be to serious about saving the ecosystem, since it makes live difficult. But we do have to take care and think about the world around us. I only eat apples and drink wines from Europe, not from further away since it is silly to transport them that far, while the farmer around the block sells them too.

  • User Gravatar Sara
    November 9th, 2008 at 12:51 pm

    Hi Thomas, thanks for stopping by (and for sharing your image). We didn’t want to mislead anyone. ;) Great tips, too – if we all ate and drank from local sources the planet would be much better off.

Welcome! The comment box is all yours to say what you like. Just make sure you use a real name, not a site or company, so you don't get sent to the spam bin. (That makes us sad.)


Health Top Blogs TopOfBlogs Design Directory Blog Directory