being green

It seems like I have a love/hate relationship with the 'going green' movement. I majored in Conservation. I care am passionate about it on the grand scale. However, I just can't seem to get excited about another dozen uses for vinegar or pallet wood. Is this my consumerism? Is this divergent with the tiny home mentality? Or is it just an admittance that with two small children I have no time to fuss with reclaiming lumber even in the name of a good cause at the right price, nor will I pay twice as much for a "green" product. I might pay 5-10% more, if and only if I love it.

Love it. That was a lesson I learned early on. Liking is not enough, I think that is even more important in a tiny home. When you can see practically your whole house from any given spot what is reflected back at you must not be marred with things you don't like. If you don't like something, you will want to replace it. That is not sustainable.

American made. If I have a choice of two new comparable products without a significant (say 15%?) price difference I want the one made in America. That makes sense. This economy is suffering because the poorer we are the more we depend on the sweatshop mentality of pricing which is outsourced meaning the cycle repeats at our expense, over and over.

My family is not without allergies, though they don't seem severe or cause any sort of limiting. Some tiny home folks are really big on alternative products like wool insulation. I can't say that I've looked into a lot of that. I've never had a problem with traditional construction materials to my knowledge, so I'm just not sure I'm willing to stress over it. I care more about smart products. Products that get the job done as efficiently as possible.

What about you? What aspects of green do you hold to? What are your price rules for being greener?