I am a fan of environmentalists and the environmental movement. Those citizens advocating for our environment provide a useful service to the rest of us -- particularly those in government and industry by reminding us of the necessity for prudence when considering the current and future health of our planet. 

I am dismayed, however, at the increasing equation of environmental consciousness with moral righteousness and the rampant consumerism that has attached itself to the environmental movement. The resulting mix is an unsavory moral consumerism that stinks to high heaven. Save the planet, save your soul. All it costs you is a few dollars.

That’s the old-time religion for you!  And the current problem with living green is the same problem with absolution purchased with gold: The more disposable income you have the more morally superior you can become.

Where eternal damnation is not concerned, however, most folk -- the rich included -- tend to be guided by their economic concerns. The fact is that, right now, living eco-friendly is a luxury reserved for those with plenty of mean green, as they say (or used to say) on the streets. The failure to embrace green attitudes because of their expense is not a moral failure on the part of consumers, but rather an inability on the part of green manufacturers to compete in the marketplace.

There is, for example, a reason new home builders do not equip each new home with solar panels, and if my neighborhood is any indication, our neighbors are not rushing to attach solar panels to their roofs. None of us has a love of paying the utility company each month. The fact is, however, that as promising as much of the solar technology is (and huge strides have been made over the years), it still remains an economic loser for average homeowners. 

Figures range, but for an average 2,000-square-foot home, one could expect to pay upwards of $30,000 (before labor) to outfit their home with solar power.  Even with the tax breaks and credits that you receive, it is unlikely that your savings in energy cost will pay for the purchase within the time you own the home. To be sure, there are nations that have embraced the solar power; Japan comes to mind. However, they do it through government subsidy. Americans, thankfully, are still not convinced that they ought to be responsible for heating their neighbors’ homes. 

For years, home cooks have been reading about the promise of using electromagnetic energy or induction heat to cook food. Well, the future is here.  The problem is that the cook tops are still relatively expensive, even for home cooks looking to splurge. General Electric sells a 30-inch induction cook top for about $2,000. Compare that with the GE gas or electric cook tops that range in price from $331 to $550. Even if one is pondering high end models like Viking or Wolf, you will still pay a full $500 dollars less than the GE induction top.

And what about everyday consumer items? 

A quick and admittedly unscientific survey of my local grocery store revealed that there is often a staggering price difference between eco-friendly products and those that we morally depraved consumers choose to purchase.   

The cost of an everyday name brand cleaner was half as much as the eco-friendly cleaner. The name brand laundry detergent was 10 cents per load cheaper than the eco-friendly soap.  Store brand butter was half as much per pound as the organic brand, and the energy smart light bulbs were four times as expensive as the traditional incandescent bulbs -- which, for my money, give off a brighter light.

There was some good news.  A 12-roll pack of eco-friendly toilet paper was exactly the same price as my name brand. In pursuit of a greener lifestyle this is, I imagine, as good a place to start as any.

Many of the price differences of other products were admittedly small -- a few cents here or there, and as I am as eager to breathe clean air and drink clean water as anyone else, there is room for my family to incorporate some changes into our lifestyle. 

I don’t mind a little prodding by the tree huggers. I do object to the moralizing when there could be time better spent creating products that will enable all of us to live more cleanly while still enjoying that jingle in our pockets. 

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Joseph C. Phillips is the author of “He Talk Like a White Boy."