What does it mean to be "green"?

Through my entire experience over ISP, I still find myself preoccupied with one question: What does it mean to be "green"?

I found countless websites, materials or resources that claimed to be environmentally friendly yet under close scrutiny were quite the opposite. Some environmental sites preached the need for everyone to live one certain way to have the smallest impact possible where as others approached environmentalism like an unattainable goal.

So, after weeding through all the different interpretations of what it means to be "green", I have come to associate the "green" movement in general with a holistic approach to health: mind, body and soul. Being "green" is about balancing all of your needs with those of others and not just other human beings but the place you live and all the living things that you interact with. I think of being "green" as a denunciation of the Greek idea that "Man is the measure of all things".

My biggest problem with things like LEED certification is the idea that you can put a sticker on something and call it "green" rather than approaching the building as a whole. Like the Frameworks for Healthier Neighborhoods package, I believe more in empowerment then the close scrutiny of inumberable rules. All the meticulous divsions and awarding of points seems rather trivial to me.

Being "green" is about balance and respect. I think of being "green" as a denunciation of the Greek idea that "Man is the measure of all things".