When it comes to the idea of the green movement, some people get stuck thinking a little too obsessively about the means to an end and forget about some of the practical health and safety concerns that can go along with changes in business and personal practices. Think of it as an over balancing that green practitioners attempt to fight back against some of the unhealthy aspects of industrialism.

To help you find the theoretical and practical balance between green and commercial endeavors, consider the categories of industrial and commercial waste from building sites, pest control processes, the anti-science phenomenon, and discussions about genetically modified organisms.

Industrial and Commercial Waste From Building

In the end, you want a green, sustainable structure. But how do you get there? You still have to have all of the initial construction materials and construction equipment, and the very process of building will produce some waste. A lot of the industrial products that are used to create green buildings do produce industrial waste, so the smart thing is to be reasonable about these amounts, rather than obsessing about them. However, you could always look at methods or processes that you can implement that could help reduce the toxicity or harm caused by the industrial waste your company produces. Conducting regular health and safety audits for your organization could be something to consider in this respect, so that best practices with respect to sustainability as well as safety can be implemented.

Pest Control

Another significant issue concerning the green movement would be pest control. Fogging for mosquitoes has a tremendous number of benefits for certain areas, especially when it comes to disease control or even health and safety of people in the area. However, fogging is not necessarily seen as a natural process, and many individuals in the green movement would automatically suggest that this should not be considered. Once again, it’s important to understand the big picture cost analysis when it comes to decisions like this because by overemphasizing natural as a higher priority than practical, there could be long-term consequences that fall into the negative realm.

Green Is Not Anti-Science

Being a part of the green movement is not about being anti-science. This attitude is a huge misconception. Science has brought us a lot of great things during various points in human history. The ideal now would be to use science to improve green technology. Environmental activists that rally against science are not helping. Everyone should be getting together to see how to combine the best parts of the latest technology with the most recent understanding of sustainable practices.

The GMO Discussion

Genetically modified organisms are often misunderstood by people who believe themselves to be earth activists. There is so much hype surrounding the topic, and so very little data that comes out in a meaningful format for the average person, that there tends to be hysteria on all sides of the spectrum. Sustainable earth activists need to be talking to scientists and companies about what genetically modified organisms do and how they can be used for positive and lasting progress. Anything other than that primary line of conversation tends to be more emotional rather than rational.