Amidst a thousand spam messages was this comment by a new reader of the Root blog. We found it compelling enough to reply to in a post. Whether you agree or not, please let us hear from you…and now, Tod in a response to our post on Burt’s Bees being bought by Clorox for close to 1 billion dollars.

“A sad day, I suppose. However, this reminds me of the fundamental question that must be asked of all ‘green’ products:
Are they necessary? That is, do we NEED lip balm or is it something we simply enjoy? If the latter, then there’s nothing truly sustainable about creating superfluous products.

Yes, this is the hard line, and I’m not advocating a relinquishment of all luxury products. Instead, I’m pointing out that the purchase of Burt’s, while troubling in that a ‘local hero’ has been removed from the scene, is really more smoke and mirrors than actual loss. Whether’s it’s Clorox or Bob and Nancy Granola, products are products and it’s our insatiable lust for them (no, my lips really do get dry - I hear the protests!) that has pushed us past the point of no return.

Ben and Jerry’s. Burt’s. Prius. –> all absolute non-essentials. What difference does it make that all three are owned by major polluters?

Oh, this is NOT a rhetorical question. What, exactly, is the difference?”

Root: What is the difference? I do use lip balm on a daily basis, many times a day…do I want a healthier choice? Yes. Will it be Burt’s now that Clorox owns them, not likely. Was it before? Yes, amoung other healthy choices. So for me, Clorox’s purchase does make a difference. But what about the deeper questions Tod is bringing up? The complicit nature of being first world human beings says to me, yes, this is not a rhetorical question. What is the difference? I believe it is more and more each individual’s responsibility to ask these questions as we belly up to the check out desk. And the first question to ask, is: Do I really need this?  The second:  Where is this coming from?

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