Battle of the Green Sexes!

Therapists Report Increase in Green Disputes 

This was the title of a recent NY Times article published Jan 17, 2010 & authored by Leslie Kaufman (photo credit: STACK COORDINATION)

 It stood out to me like a blaring red traffic light!  I found this part particularly interesting:

"Women, Ms. Birkhahn [executive director of the EcoMom Alliance] said, often see men as not paying sufficient attention to the home. Men, for their part, “really want to make a large impact and aren’t interested in a small impact,” she said.

That is certainly the case in her own marriage, she said. Her husband, Kurt, an engineer and federal employee, sometimes seems to be baiting her by placing plastic yogurt cups in the garbage or leaving the reusable shopping bags in the car and coming home with disposable bags instead.

In the ensuing discussions, Ms. Birkhahn said, her husband argues that the changes she is making may have a large effect on their lives but have little or no effect on the planet. He fought every step of the way against the gray-water system she installed in their bathroom to recycle water to flush the toilet, calling it a waste of time and money, she said. The system cost $1,200 to install.

Ms. Birkhahn said she found it hard to dispute his point but thought it was irrelevant. “I am trying to be a role model for my son,” she said."

I'm going to talk more about leading by example in later posts although I find it interesting that she was unable to dispute his point (last paragraph). This is the very point I was addressing in my March 9th blog post.  We all have our own areas of influence and we need to do what we can within those areas to be role models, shine our lights and stick to our guns - KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK MS. BIRKHAHN!

Tracy Lydiatt
The Green Families Guru