According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, originating from the Old English word Grene, closely related to the verb growan meaning “to grow,” Green has traditionally described a color. Its meaning has found a way into science, religion, politics and culture. More recently the word has taken on a whole new definition as the leading term for what is considered environmentally friendly. Go Green, Green Washing and the Green Movement are all used frequently in today’s society.
Everywhere we look there are tips on how to Go Green in your home, office, food, transportation, leisure. Headlines in the media daily reflect this phenomena including one this week from The City of Chicago, promising the ‘Greenest Olympics‘ in their bid for the 2016 summer games.
In every industry, RVing being just one of many (I hope), “Green” it’s NOT a prototype, it’s a philosophy. It’s NOT mechanical, it’s a mindset, it’s NOT a technical diagram of some sort, it’s a temperament. It is NOT a blueprint, it’s a belief that one person can make a difference. Green is a way of looking at things.
I am very excited to read all the great articles in recent months about the “Green RV” and the push of other RVers to Go Green. SolTrekker, bioTrekker, Live Lightly, Verdier Eco-Camper, Mobile Base Camp and the like, are all designed to push the current edge of reduced carbon travel through design, innovation and some long, hard work. Companies across the our industry are researching materials that are formaldehyde-free, using renewable resources for construction and creating an RV landscape using resources for sustainable development.
That said, the work of the “Environmental Pioneers” is not the beginning of some new prototype or the impetus of a future marketing campaign to sell souped-up versions of our current models. Not at all. Truly, to Go Green one needs only to view our planet, and the people on it, as something other than an entitlement, a resource to be plundered and squandered.
Though some of us may not be as “Eco” as others, for many of us on the open road, Going Green is a blend of a mindset and the mechanical, 1/2 technology and 1/2 temperament. You can’t buy Green, you have to be Green. A large number, not all but many, seem as concerned about the environment, about global warming, about energy independence and self-sufficiency as those I meet that don’t RV.
Now personally, harnessing the natural energies of the sun, wind and rain is only a portion of the picture. My efforts to recycle, to tread lightly, to conserve whenever and wherever I can, to go forth in my own attempt to make a difference, is as important as anything bit of nomenclature attached to my Lance Camper.
It is my hope that anyone learning about my version of the “Green RV” looks well beyond the little I’ve learned on the topic, and challenges themselves to find the “next” avenue or direction in whatever industry they currently finds themselves in.
So in the future when you read about the “Green RV” please imagine “the Green —-” and then fill in the blank for yourself; truly the only person who can make a difference in the world you live in.