The Green Seniors Movement and Tips from the Green Granny

by Kim, March 5, 2009 at 11:21am

Awhile back, a commenter brought up the extra challenges seniors face when trying to green their lifestyles. A casual look at the faces represented in the green movement will turn up some diversity in culture but less in terms of age range. Which is not to say that enviro-consciousness has an age limit. According to research (It's Good to Be Green: Socially Conscious Shopping Behaviors Among Boomers) "almost three-quarters (70%) of boomers say that they feel a sense of responsibility to make the world a better place.

AARP International issued a report, "Why the World Needs Green Seniors," which points out that senior citizens of wealthy countries share in the responsibility of their affluent nations; "Seniors in the US are becoming more affluent, and with affluence comes emissions. It is no coincidence that the very richest countries in the world are also the biggest producers of greenhouse gases."  The article goes on to mention GreenSeniors.org, a joint UK-US venture dedicated to channeling the time and energies of seniors who  want to do something to try and fix the problems that we have created.

For some senior tips on green living, see OxFam's Green Granny video series.