An eco-invasion of sorts took place this afternoon at Whole Foods Market . A busload of so-called "green missionaries" fanned out across the Shopper’s World parking lot to share the gospel of environmental sustainability.
Members of the Conscious Goods Alliance (CGA) rolled up in a tricked out “veggie-bus” (a 28-foot tour coach fueled by recycled vegetable oil) around 11 this morning. They were entertaining curious customers throughout the afternoon, distributing product samples and giving tours of their wheeled home-away-from-yurt.
A six-person team of artists, environmentalists, and alternative exercisers from across the country and Canada inhabit the conspicuously earth-conscious and fully sustainable love bus, which touts coconut palm floors, solar-powered electronics, and recycled paper counter tops.
But the group’s message to consumers runs deeper than sheer eco-gadgetry. “Our mission is to promote ‘conscious consumerism’—showing people that there are companies out there that are actually supporting a green, harmonious future that is conscious of our planet’s conditions,” says Todd O’Brien, who, with a total of four-and-a-half months on the bus, is its most seasoned member.
In essence, these enviro-evangelists are out to encourage shoppers to “vote with their dollars,” a concept that their 15 sponsor companies support. If you’re sore about missing this bandwagon, you can catch it tomorrow in Springfield, Virginia—that’s the next stop on the CGA’s year-long American tour.
The "veggie bus" rolled into Whole Foods for an afternoon of environmental education and advocacy.
