There are no standard answers to this question, one quickly realizes that all products have an environmental profile. Some are better than others, some are worse. The question really is: can we help people understand the merits and demerits of products and avoid the hype?

Don't believe that only certain products are "green" or "resource efficient" and others are not. This is incorrect and has already led to many misguided attempts, programs, statements, policies on products. One of the reasons that many manufacturers grew to dislike the "green" movement, was an over-simplified world view.

I'll provide an example. Most people wouldn't think of fiberglass insulation as a green material. However, much of the product is made from recycled glass. In addition, it stands up to environmental factors better than other insulation materials over time. Therefore, in a thorough analysis that looks at the product from cradle to grave, you might find fiberglass insulation to be the best product for the job. If the insulation performs better, then the energy saved is worth much more environmentally than the few tradeoffs there are in making the product.

Now, some will complicate the issue by bringing up human health and cancer. Yes, it is a problem, but it is a small problem if you look at the whole picture. On top of that, the newer products are twisted or wrapped so that loose fibers won't effect workers and users as much.

My point is simply, that these issues are complex and we must analyze them carefully. There are many shades of grey between black and white.