Greening The Consumer ProductsWhat is a Muslim Green Consumer? This was my topic at:
2nd Annual Environmental Conference 2009 ‘Shaping an Environmentally Responsible Society with Equitable Solutions’ 24th & 25th February 2009, Berjaya Times Square Hotel & Convention Center, Kuala Lumpur
As-Salaam Alaikum The two words Green and Consumer almost appear as antithesis to each other. Why? Green is associated with life while the root (consume) is associated with destruction! Therefore, it appears that as though we are encouraging continued over consumption of resource,but keep it Green! How then is this important to the general public and Muslims in particular? Wouldn't they agree that a clean,green halal environment is important? The answer from most would be "Yes", but these same yea sayers would also agree that exercise is important! However, the unfortunate truth is, we are often found wanting on both accounts. We are damaging the environment and our wastelines!
If we ate correctly, we would be healthier and have the energy to walk. Yet,our lifestyles are betraying the directive that our creator has given us.
But unlike the animals and other creatures that were created; we are consuming our resources like an overweight person at a Free Buffet who thinks that it will never end. While at the same time leaving their children or those after them to pick up the bill!
We have taken personal consumption and consumerism to a dangerous level. And it's not only food! From our planets natural resources on and under the earth to the depletion of the ozone; consumption is at an all time high.
Things are at such dangerous level that we are told by some "Marketers" to swap our present wasteful form of consumerism for a “Greener one”. It’s like someone who’s been overdosing of heroine or cocaine and now is told to load up on morphine or drink alcohol because it is seen as a better alternative. No, what you want to do is get the addict out of the addiction.
If this the case, how are we as Muslim consumers to go forward and break this addiction? We go forward with green perspective toward Sustainability
They can only do this if they see themselves as owners or as I said managers of their piece of the planet.
The problem is that we often expect our government, NGO'S and others to do what we all should be doing. And that’s through “Change” I’m not speaking about the Change the guy in America speaks about, but when you look around you it’s busy as usual. I’m speaking about the kind of Change the puts the onus in the hands of the people. Making sustainable green changes in our lives, Homes, work places, neighborhoods, market place etc. Is it inconceivable to foster competition in between offices in buildings or between neighborhoods to see which is better at Greening themselves and the environment. What about encouraging the places where we shop to provide more "Green" alternatives. Will cultivating a sustainable green consumer be an easy task? It’s hard to say, many years have been spent in wasteful consumerism and the marketing to perpetuate it.
And if this is the case; are we afforded an equal amount of time to get things right?
Hardly, the patient our earth is approaching the critical stage.
Therefore, it’s incumbent on us to move quickly to stop the patient from hemorrhaging
In the movie Field of Dreams there is a line “If you build it they will come”
If we consistently show and demonstrate to people the benefits of sustainable green consumerism they will change.
Because people are motivated toward Change when it’s in their own self interest. That self interest is one that places the care of the planet back in our hands where it was intended from the beginning. To sustain what we have been entrusted with for those who are here now and for the generations to come.
From Consumer to Free Resources
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