I "do" Green

"I don't do green." That was my father's response. I had planned to bake him a treat for father's day, and, knowing that he hates surprises, I asked him ahead of time what he would want. The decision - cookies. The victim - environmentalism?

I buy as high a percentage of organic foods as my budget allows, so most of my food is organic, all natural, or has some other environmentally friendly aspect, such as rain forest alliance certification, fair trade, locally grown, free range, no preservatives or artificial ingredients, etc. So I explained to him that any baked good he received from me would be as green as possible without any effort on his part.

I have to buy my own groceries because my parents refuse to "go green". My dad has some sort of superiority complex when it comes to socially and environmentally responsible, healthy foods. I think he reads my grocery independence as a declaration of self-righteous pomp. It's patrially true: I can't eat fast food and meat from tortured animals; my conscious won't allow it. I prefer to support families instead of corporations. I don't want pesticides and synthetic chemicals in my body, in the earth or on my mind. So I made up my own mind and took responsibility for myself. I don't know why it irritates him so much. What does that even mean? to not "do" "green"? What does it take to convince people to "do" what is simultaneously better for themselves and for the earth, and therefore for their children and grandchildren? It baffles me that people can be so adamantly against something that is harmless to them. It's not like my dad benefits financially from maintaining an unjust system (as many people do).

I want to show him the documentary Renewal. Maybe that will touch his religious side and convince him that there is merit in the environmental movement. I have to learn to speak to people in their own language. We shall see.