Environmental consciousness can't always be bought

Many Americans are trying to buy their way into environmental consciousness, but according to some concerned researchers, it may not be such a great idea.

The shelves of shops throughout the Pee Dee are well stocked with products claiming to be environmentally friendly, but often that’s not the case, said Anthony Melton, area extension agent for the Florence County Clemson Extension.

“A lot of it is marketing,” Melton said. “And if you say it’s organic they will purchase it.”

People must broaden their horizons when it comes to assuming one media source is correct on a subject like environmental consciousness.

“I hate to say it, they get their information from (the media) and a lot of times it’s depending on who the writer’s source is,” he said. “The writer or the person on TV is not an expert most of the time. They’re just repeating something from someone else.”

Melton said the key to being as informed as possible is gleaning information from reliable research organizations.

“Some research is not as good as other research,” he said. “Usually good university research is scientifically based. In other words, it is good replicated research.”

Melton said he considers good research to be anything that was originally tested, the results were published and then other researchers tried to prove or disprove the findings. He said if results hold up to that kind of scrutiny, then the results are valid and can be trusted.

“Today a lot of research is funded by money from companies looking to have their product researched,” he said.

And that makes for untrustworthy findings regarding many of the products said to be environmentally sound.

Bottled water is one of the leading topics under fire for being touted as environmentally friendly when, in fact, the disposable bottles are a large component in landfills.

“If it’s not treated or filtered, it’s not healthy,” Melton said. “Especially for young kids or elderly, it can be dangerous.”

Then, despite the health benefits of drinking water, people are often left with a bottle to either reuse or throw away. Many people throw them away.

Another disturbing issue in eco-products is the organic market.

“Organics can be very dangerous if not done properly because you’re using manures,” Melton said

He cited problems like the recent Dole spinach E. coli contamination, saying the company no longer allows manure to be used to fertilize its organic produce.

The standard accepted practice for using manure to fertilize organic produce is that no manure should be used on a plant anywhere from 60 to 90 day prior to harvest. But Melton said many smaller growers, specifically backyard organic farmers, are unaware of this precaution.

“If a homeowner told me, ‘I grow things organically,’ I would not eat it,” he said, “because he does not know the standards.”

Recently, Consumer Reports published an article in its ShopSmart Magazine about the lack of uniform regulations for environmentally friendly products in the United States. The article suggested that the best way to go green is to use less and buy used.



On the Web:

Consumer Reports, www.consumerreports.org