Breaking Down the Staggering Costs of the Green Movement

We all want to "Go Green." We want our homes, businesses and government green. In fact, we wouldn't object to a green world.

We aspire to rid ourselves of our dependence on foreign oil. We want to stop greenhouse gases and pollution of all kind. There is just one minor problem with going green: It's expensive.

The actual costs of going green are much more than the average American can afford to pay. Let's break it down.

Solar Power. Federal law allows a 30% tax credit - up to $2000.00 if you install a Solar Electric System in your' home. That combined with the up to $2000.00 in rebates from the solar companies can save you up to $4000.00 on a system that can potentially cause your' electric meter to run backwards! That being said, a system that puts out 12,105.45 watts with five hours of peak sunshine per day will cost you $78,696.00 to have installed. After rebates and tax credits, the price tag is a whopping $74,696.00.

Now that we have spent such a large amount, let's go even greener. Once you have converted to solar power, you may as well buy solar powered appliances. A solar powered refrigerator will cost a minimum of $615.51 and a solar powered freezer will add another $789.00.

Now you will need a rain water collection system. For a small unit, you will pay a minimum of $987.00

You will also need to buy a green car. Yahoo claims the 2007 Honda Civic Electric Hybrid to be the best for a cost of $24,350.00.

So far we have spent $101,437.51 but we aren't finished. To be truly green, we need to buy Eco-friendly clothing made out of recycled materials. Eco-friendly clothing is generally a bit more expensive, but hey, we're going green.

We will also need to start buying all of our fruit and vegetables at organic markets. This will keep pesticides from getting into our ground water and poisoning our children.

With all that we have on our financial plates, mortgages, children's college tuitions, health care, Ira's, and a number of other financial obligations, a green world, at this point in time, seems like a distant dream. Will we get there? Not without some economically friendly solutions.

In the mean time, there are plenty of small things that we can do in our daily lives to help the green movement. Things like turning off the water while brushing our teeth and turning off lights when we leave a room. There are water saving shower heads and toilets. When we buy appliances, we can look for the energy star. We can recycle our cans, bottles and plastics.

We may not be able to afford to convert as many of us would like, but in the end, maybe it's the small things that will add up to the biggest impact.