Going green conflicts

The eco-friendly, green movement is growing in popularity, but the issues alongside this trend are also taking on importance. Officials are skeptical of whether altered lifestyles can negatively impact personal relationships.

Sara Parks agreed that conflicts are likely to occur among individuals, but feels there has been a huge growth in awareness for going green. Her store, Equita, located in Lawrenceville, is a prime example of moving in the green direction, selling items that are eco-friendly, fair-trade and sweatshop-free.

"I think so many more people are becoming aware, and small businesses are trying to be more environmentally conscious. Five to 10 years ago, I didn't think there was such an emphasis on being green," Parks, co-owner and director of marketing and communications at Equita, said.

She finds herself in a convenient situation in which her entire family is in support of protecting the environment and continuing in the green movement.

"It's hard for me to think of conflicts occurring," Parks said. "My whole family is all on board with me."

Pittsburgh has been a leader in the green movement, installing green roofs on buildings such as the Giant Eagle in Shadyside and the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh on the North Side. According to the Green Building Alliance (GBA), the city has a total of 39 Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED certified buildings.

GBA is dedicated to keeping the green movement alive and funding green building projects that are healthy for the environment. Holly Childs, executive director of GBA, has seen the benefits of going green, including lower heating and cooling costs. She acknowledged the eco-friendly improvements made in Pittsburgh, but remains skeptical of whether or not the green movement could negatively affect a relationship.

"Pittsburgh has made a lot of gains," Childs said. "It is one of the top 10 cities in number of green buildings. Issues due to becoming environmentally friendly really depend on the type of relationship ­- whether it is professional or personal - and the individual situation. There are just so many benefits to going green."

The environmentally conscious movement aims to improve cities and communities. Air quality is expected to improve with the increased use of plants and healthier building materials, and utility costs will also be lowered. Spending more money initially will lead to a decrease in spending in years to come.

Michael Kilmer, a Duquesne University law graduate student, planned to focus his career on environmental studies. He agreed with the green movement, but is not as certain that issues are capable of stemming from this eco-friendly change.

"It would take a very excitable person who is so passionate about environmental issues to allow going green to interfere with a relationship," Kilmer said. "I can see how some people may have problems or debates about this, but overall I don't see it being a big issue."

There are people who choose to support the green movement while others choose to focus on other issues. Whether this divide in concern is capable or not of causing disputes and issues remains unclear. Some feel the issues that appear to be caused by differences in eco-friendliness may have an underlying cause.

"If people are having problems stemming from energy, it might actually be more of a problem with money," Kilmer said. "Overall, my opinion is that there are other, deeper reasons than going green that cause issues among people. Most people may not understand what going green really is."

The exact meaning of "going green" remains vague and undefined. Benjamin Freed, Pennsylvania communications director of Repower America, agreed that it is a broad phrase that fails to point out specifics.

"A lot of people talk about going green," Freed said. "It's a very nebulous thing to say because going green can mean many things."

Repower America's green focus is on energy efficiency. The movement, which started in 2008, hopes to have a clean energy jobs bill passed that, in two years, will create 78,000 jobs for Pennsylvanians. This will help unemployed people return to work as well as offer employment to college graduates.

When considering issues arising amongst those concerned with green issues and those who are not, the company encourages everyone to get involved.

"We want everybody to be a part of this fight towards energy efficiency," Freed said. "My personal philosophy is that fighting the climate crisis doesn't mean you have to sacrifice the ones you love."