A green man understands if destructive living continues we won’t be able to sustain our bodies, our communities, or even the earth as a whole and they won’t stand for it anymore. That’s sexy as hell.
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Becoming a socially conscious male is something GMP has covered before. Understanding and being compassionate about the struggles of all people (men, women, young, old, people of all different races and backgrounds) is what sets the building blocks of a well rounded life for anyone, not just men. What I’d like to discuss today is along similar lines—compassion for the environment and why it’s totally masculine and attractive.
What does it mean to be a green man in 2015?
The misconception that people who care for the environment and animals are all guitar-toting nomads and hippies is long gone (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Today’s environmentalists are everywhere. These people are conscious individuals with nine-to-five jobs, mortgages and families just like the rest of us. The modern, environmentally conscious consumer understands that each and every purchase makes a difference. Understanding the facts behind the footprint that you are casting is the first part of becoming green. Is this product tested on animals? If I throw this away instead of recycle it where will it go? Now, more than ever, sustainability is a wonderful goal to work towards. A green person is someone that understands the fact that if destructive living continues we won’t be able to sustain our bodies, our communities, or even the earth as a whole and they won’t stand for it anymore.
Now, with that being said, this doesn’t mean that all green men are sitting in the dark and living on cardboard as their only means for sustenance. Modern eco-consciousness is the new black. Environmentalism doesn’t have to mean living off of the grid necessarily. Everything from shoes to hotels have become eco-friendly. Anyone can still be “plugged in” and contribute to eco-friendliness. Technology is actually on the side of eco-awareness these days. Even smartphone apps give green solutions for everything from where to recycle certain goods to information on building a fully functioning eco-structure (including solar panel installation and even heating and cooling). Millennials have banded together to provide comprehensive ratings of products and their manufacturers so anyone can know if the product they are buying is friendly to animals, the environment and humans—all at the touch of a button.
Photo credit: Takver
Want some examples of trail blazing, modern environmental dudes? Sure. We’ve got plenty, but here’s just a couple.
Jack Johnson
Singer/songwriter Jack Johnson uses 100 percent post-consumer, recycled products in the packaging of his albums. Not only that, but he records in a solar powered recording studio. Jack has also provided his crew members with a biodiesel bus to travel in when they are on tour. When the crew needs to stop for food they only source local and organic foods. He also donated the entire proceeds from his 2008 and 2010 tour to charity!
Photo credit: Prestor
Leonardo DiCaprio
The famous actor recently raised $40 million for environmental preservation under his conservation organization, aptly named the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, which was founded back in 1998. Leonardo has also partnered with Netflix to provide a factual and education-based environmental series to spread awareness about the severity of protecting the world’s wildlife, oceans, climate and forests.
Now, of course these extreme feats aren’t what makes a good environmental man. According to the Huffington Post, men have defied masculinity with such words as dominance, alpha, control, power and strength. Now what sounds more masculine than standing up for the world we live in, the people and animals in it and the luscious resources we have been given by mother earth?
Photo credit: Danilla
What makes environmentalism attractive?
Eco-Friendly living is sexy on anybody. Knowing the facts that this world won’t be around forever and doing what we can to lower our impact shows an overall thoughtfulness about the next generation. Not only will going green improve the life we get to have on this wonderful planet, but it will set the stage for everyone else to enjoy a non-polluted and lack-of-fossil-fuel, “Mad Max” type of post-apocalyptic existence.
Compassion for one another is not a sign of weakness. It takes strength to say enough is enough. Improving our quality of life across the world is important, now more than ever. People around the world deserve fair wages, clean water and clean living spaces. Animals deserve to live fulfilled lives in the wild so they can contribute to the growth of an integral eco-system. And last but not least, we deserve to be well educated about the environmental impact each of us has on our community and the world. Those who choose to support companies and individuals that put faith in the betterment of the world (even if one step at a time) show true values that are undoubtedly irresistible.
Photo credit: The Movie Network
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Feature Photo credit: Getty Images