Green movement coming of age

Earth Day turns 39 Tuesday. And like many of its generation, the annual enviro-fest has grown more materialistic with age.
    From hair salons to posh spa hotels, from luxury hybrid sedans to corner thrift stores - they all boast green credentials to tout as the annual celebration of the environment and sustainability approaches.
    Even the trade magazine Advertising Age questions the transformation in an article, "Is Earth Day the New Christmas? As More Marketers Pile On, Consumerism May Eclipse Spirit of Event."
    "It's nearly Earth Day," the article begins. "Time to consume more to save the planet."
    But Tia Nelson, daughter of the late Wisconsin and Earth Day founder Sen. Gaylord Nelson, welcomes the vehicles that have driven home realization of her father's dream.
    "Papa would probably celebrate that," said Nelson.
    "The mainstreaming of the Green Movement indicates it's penetrating, becoming more successful."
    If ordinary Americans weren't weaving green values into everyday life, society would risk failing at solving some of the most pressing problems of our time, she said.
    The Earth Day Network, which serves as a clearinghouse for information and activities, estimates that more than a billion people will participate in this year's celebration.
    In Utah alone more than a dozen events are planned, including week-long celebrations at the University of Utah and Weber State University. (To find out more, check the Web page: http://ww2.earthday.net/).
    And Earth Day pitches are everywhere.
    The makers of Clorox bleach are teaming up with the Sierra Club to promote a "green" cleaning line.
    The Car Care Council suggests celebrating earth day with your car.
    An online banking advocacy group offers interviews with experts who can talk about how you can "get greedy and increase your green (money) while getting green. Save your pocketbook and the environment by paying your bills electronically."
    Even the conservative Sutherland Institute is getting into the game.
    It plans a four-day anti-environmentalism program that includes programs challenging global warming, blaming the green movement for hurting the poor and touting nuclear power.
    Compact fluorescent bulbs, energy efficient building, business practices that ease pressure on natural resources - it's all part of a consciousness that Nelson can't help but applaud.
    Nelson recalled how her father, a small-town boy and child of the Great Depression, demonstrated a devotion to the cause and hard-work ethic throughout his life, and taught her her most valuable lessons.
    He reported to work at the Wilderness Society every day until just before his death in 2005 at age 89 because he believed there was still more to be done.
    "He dared to be a U.S. senator to change the world, and he did it."
    Every scrap of weather-stripping, every reusable shopping bag and every low-energy light bulb is proof of it.
    fahys@sltrib.com