I think it’s red isn’t it? Is this fellow saying that green is red? He has hunted down many “green” blogs including mine and left this message:
Recently I wrote a blog entry offering a leftist critique of the ideology of “Green” environmentalism, permaculturalism, deep ecology, eco-feminism, and lifestyle politics in general (veganism, “dumpster diving,” “buying organic,” “locavorism,” etc.). I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on the matter and any responses you might have to its criticisms.
While I believe that everyone is fully entitled to their opinions, I don’t like the way that he has hunted down our blogs and asked us to go and read a criticism on our lives and choices we have made. I also don’t like labels – I don’t believe anyone has the right to label me.
I simply choose to look after the environment and grow my own food – am I elitist, am I an eco-feminist, am I a communist?
Ah well – each to his own I guess. As I said in my response to him – I am happy living like this and I truly hope he is happy too, because that is what counts in the end.
You can find his comment and my response here.
The Slowvelder 
If this guy has posted the same message to several blogs, it amounts to spam. I know it’s frustrating to be labelled, but try not to spend too much mental energy on him – or give him more “airtime”. As you said, he’s entitled to his opinion, and you’re entitled not to listen to it!
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Hello Lisa. I thought about the issue of giving him airtime – I really don’t mind helping people get more hits, and I believe everyone has the right to air their views. And of course, because I am very sure of my choices I have made, I am not going to have sleepless nights about his post. I am interested however, if others have a similar reaction to him and the way he is aproaching others as I have had and that is why I wrote this post. I am actually enjoying reading the comments on his blog that have come from many of the other blog writers he aproached.
Just loving your blog by the way 🙂
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I tried to read his post, but couldn’t maintain my concentration levels past the first few paragraphs. Partly because of my sore head, largely because of his arguments.
Who knew that sustainable living was such a controversial topic?! 🙂
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hehe – absolutely right – who knew 🙂
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Hello there Mother Earth!
Maybe he is just jealous of our chosen life styles?
He certainly has generated some discussion and hits to his blog.
And I agree with Lisa, I couldn’t get past the first few sentences in each section without having to skim on again – very verrry heavy!
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Hello Sue. You think? I was just wondering what it is about people like us who try to be gentle on the earth and on others that would incite someone to go to so much trouble to try and discredit what we do – its not like we are harming anyone or attacking him and his in any way.
I suppose that some green activists could get up peoples noses a bit – 🙂
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It’s the eternal debate over whether being “gentle / steadfast” or “vociferous / violent” produces the best or most everlasting change….
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Yeah and I think some of us are kitted out to be gentle and steadfast and others vociferous. I think there may be need for both…
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If you’re going to do anything interesting in the world, criticism is an unavoidable fact.
You’ll be criticized, because you’ll make mistakes, because some will be jealous, because people have opinions about anything interesting, because people want to help you, because some want to drag down those doing anything different.
The trick to navigating the icebergs of criticism is to figure out which are helpful, and steer clear of those that aren’t.
And above all, do it with grace. ~ Leo Babauta
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Hmmmm sounds like spam,
I think I agree with Lisa’s comment. But you keep enjoying your wonderful lifestyle and don’t let negativity bother you.
Take care and enjoy your week-end.
Kate
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I am glad you are happy with the lifestyle you have chosen. One of my main points, however, is that such choices in an individual’s way of life often do not have the impact they imagine it would. They follow the belief that, “If each person would just ride their bicycle to work instead of driving, we could cut X amount of carbon emissions.” In almost every case this doesn’t result in the cumulative effect that the proponents of a given lifestyle would want.
As long as you’re aware that growing your own organic produce, and being as Green as you can, is not going to overturn big agrobusinesses, multinational corporations like Monsanto and others, or save the world, that’s fine. I just think it’s politically dangerous that people become content with just living their own lives while leaving the present social order intact. Rather, I think that they should seek to become part of a mass movement that is fundamentally opposed to the capitalist social formation, so that society can be rebuilt on new principles of abundance and the self-conscious mastery over itself and all of nature.
I’m sorry to have offended you or anyone else.
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For many people who have chosen this way of life – its not about changing the world or overthrowing corporations. Its just a lifestyle choice which is personal and private. Many of us are not political animals – we may not want to form or join a huge political group that can overthrow the existing infrastructure. I personally do not want abundance – I am against that – I like frugality and simplicity – and there is no way I want mastery over all of nature – I dont think that there are many green people who are after those things at all. I think Ross that you have made very huge generalizations by lumping many many different types of people into one big boat and making assumptions that we all want the same thing. Case in point – you mention in your post that only rich elitists can affort to grow their own food. That may be – where you come from – but here in Africa – the poorest of the poor HAVE to grow their own food to survive – its the rich elitists who can afford to buy all the imported products lining the shelves of our stores.
Thank you for your apology and its accepted – you seem to have so much energy – go use it for something that counts – we need people like you.
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Most imported products are brought in by bulk and actually aren’t that expensive. Plus, it really depends on the item. I’d love to see a local farmer sell me a banana they’ve grown in the middle of winter at a lower price than a whole bundle of bananas shipped in from the tropics.
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Ross I get what you are saying but i believe you are only looking at it from a first world view. We are in Africa the tropics – imported products are very expensive here and our bananas that we buy on the streets are way cheaper than any imported banana.
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He appears to be someone who needs to create drama by way of controversy. I suspect that no matter what the blog post, he would take the opposing side. I’ve encountered people like him before, and I’ve learned to simply ignore them. 😉
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No one has the right to label you anything! I applaude what you and your daughter are doing! I envy you! Unfortunately, the world is full of Idiots….. just tune them out and keep on doing what your doing! 🙂
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He got me too. I posted a rather LONG comment on his post, hopefully setting a few things straight. But who knows if someone who expresses such disregard for the subject he is writing about will actually be swayed by reason?
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Oh come now. My post could only get such a rise out of people if it’s not too far off the mark.
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And just to be clear, I am saying that Green IS NOT necessarily Red.
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