Green is the notion that the Industrial Revolution that brought us material wealth has done so at great expense to the environment and to culture. Our industrialized way of life has reached a point of diminishing returns and its "take make waste" method of production is testing the carrying capacity of the planet. Green proposes that it is crucial that we move our culture toward a more sustainable way of living. The chart above is a normal distribution curve, otherwise known as a Bell Curve. It illustrates six generalized categories of the various positions on Green I have encountered in the last few years as I have tried to advance the notion of going Green. This chart is my own creation and is not supported by scientific data, yet it appeals to common sense. I think it fairly represents the relative proportions of the various positions described below:

1. Antagonist: The individuals in this category are openly hostile to the notion of Green, Sustainability, and Climate Change. They fervently voice the opinion that there is no environmental crisis and that Climate Change is a completely fraudulent scam. If you Google "global warming scam", you will get a long list of sites like: www.heartland.com of the Heartland Institute that elucidates "Eight Reasons Why 'Global Warming' Is a Scam." Fortunately, Antagonists appear to be only 2% of the population.

2. Resister: Up the scale a bit are the Resisters. They are not as vociferous as the Antagonists but maintain, to varying degrees, that the data does not support conclusions that require drastic change especially in the realm of business. They refrain from insult and present, what appear to be, rational arguments to make their case often in defense of the industrialized way of life and the status quo.

3. Indifferent: 34% of the population seems to be unaware that there is such a thing as a Green movement or that it has any bearing on their lives. They enjoy the bliss of ignorance which they are reluctant to abandon so they shun involvement yet curiously, they seem to never be short on opinion.

4. Unmotivated: The Unmotivated comprises another 34% of the population that is strongly related to the Indifferent only it has heard, and perhaps believes, the Green arguments but the members of this category are so immersed in the current way of doing things that they are unwilling to consider or unable to envision how they might change their lives to make a difference. This category is also populated with Greenwashers - those who mask their extensive polluting by pointing to their small Green initiates as proof of their Greenness.

5. Proponent: This not insignificant portion of the population knows and understands the Green message and, to varying degrees, its urgency. It is working to make a difference yet it suffers from the fact that, in the name of pragmatism, it is often ready to sacrifice principle for the sake of practicality. This realm has its number of Greenwashers as well but their transgressions are less conspicuous. Only time will tell if this approach will prove too little too late.

6. Advocate: Deep Green - me and others like me. We are convinced by the evidence that civilization is in peril and although the full consequences may not come to bear for several decades, if we are to have any effect on the situation, the time for action is now. Green offers a best hope of ameliorating this threat while, at the same time, improving the quality of our existence. We feel that an intrinsic part of Green is trading our culture of consumption for one that offers a reconnection to nature and a rebirth of community, civility, and spiritualism. Unfortunately, there are only 2% of us and I must point out here that on this scale, I am probably a +11 (please refer to the chart). There are many more informed and more strident voices than mine. There is difference of opinion certainly and Greenwashers live here too, probably for reasons related to reputation rather than economics, but we mostly agree on one thing: The time for talk and half measures is over.

If you are a regular reader of this column, it might serve you to cut out the above chart and clip it to your refrigerator for the subsequent articles of this column intend to make reference to it. The latest thread of this column has been food which is one of the most important elements of sustainability and even survivability. The next article entitled "Green Food" will explore and give a Green rating (according to the chart) to some of the various food offerings of our community and provide suggestion as to how they might yet become Greener. I am compelled to also point out how things might have been done Greener in the first place as a means of offering suggestions to projects currently on the drawing board. I recognize that I do so at the risk of drawing resentment for today, in Indianapolis, it's still not easy being Green. Not yet. Not yet.