Green Costs More: Fact or Fiction?
The other day while having lunch with a friend, I got it again–the perennial question that dogs the green movement. Why does green cost more? In this case the question was about green building products (such as FSC certified wood and no-VOC paint). But I’ve been asked this question about everything from CFLs to carpet, from food to furniture.
Whenever I’m asked this question, my first response is always to concede the point. I acknowledge that green products often do cost more than conventional products for a variety of reasons (including the logic of supply and demand, existing financial and legal structures that favor the status quo, costs associated with certifications, etc.). And I explain that a big part of my job is to help people see the value of choosing green even when it’s more expensive:
- Sometimes choosing a more expensive but greener product up front will save you money down the road.
- Other times, going green provides a health benefit, or obviates a health risk associated with a conventional product.
- Finally there are times when the value that a greener choice provides is primarily moral or altruistic.
But at lunch the other day, I went beyond my typical response to suggest that making green choices involves a holistic reorientation towards a given practice or project (whether it’s grocery shopping or remodeling your home) that transforms the question with which we began. OK I didn’t say this exactly. I gave an example that I hoped would make this point more practically.
Say, for example, you undertook a home renovation with the objective of not expanding capacity but of fulfilling functional requirements, ensuring high performance, and supporting the needs and well-being of your family over the long-term. Starting from here, you may find it possible to fulfill functional requirements within the existing footprint; instead of adding on a family room, you may redesign your existing living room so it can serve as both an entertaining space and an everyday, family space. In so doing, you would save an enormous amount of money that you could use to invest in maximally durable and efficient materials that will in turn save you money over the long term.
In this scenario, a green renovation costs less than a conventional renovation not because the components in question cost less but because the project is conceptualized differently–and let’s face it, because the homeowner is willing to forgo the conventional, upper-middle class desire for a bigger home. This is what I mean when I say that going green involves a holistic reorientation that transforms the question of costs.
When you step back from an individual choice (such as do I spec FSC certified wood, or do I buy these organic apples) and look at the bigger picture (such as how can I provide healthy, environmentally-friendly food for my family on a budget), going green does not cost more. But it does challenge us to think differently about what we want. It requires mindfulness and a willingness to buck conventional wisdom and practice. Finally, it takes time, persistence and patience–something that doesn’t come naturally to contemporary Americans (myself included). But here’s the thing: it’s worth it. And, no, it doesn’t (have to) cost more.
3 Comments
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I love your story because it is exactly the new approach we need for everything we do!
Comment by Risa Edelstein — February 20, 2010 @ 9:57 pm
I love your explanation about being green and costs associated with it. Luckily, as far as Interior Finishes, we are seeing the prices get lower and lower making it more affordable for everyone.
Comment by Jenn Candler — March 3, 2010 @ 2:13 pm
Hi Jenn, Thanks so much for that note. In most product areas, as technology advances and demand for green options grows, prices do come down. Hopefully the gaps will close further as people make greener choices and as legal structures and financial incentives develop to support these.
Comment by Rachel White — March 3, 2010 @ 8:18 pm