THERE is always a price for everything. As the saying goes, ‘nothing comes from nothing’ and the price of going green to conserve our environment is the ‘inconvenience’ of having to curtail or forgo some of the modern conveniences that we have come to depend so much on that it seems we cannot live without them.

Can we live without the plastic bags, our CO2 belching motor vehicles, our factories with their gigantic chimneys billowing smog into the sky or the chemical laden cosmetic and household items we use everyday without even realising the harm they could cause to the environment.

Imagine the horror of a day without using the ubiquitous plastic bag or not washing with chemical laden detergents. Yet it is the very things we cannot do without that are clogging and poisoning our waterways.

The harsh reality is that unless we go back to mediaeval age we cannot discard all the modern inventions from our life.

However, we cannot stand by helplessly as our world hurtles into decay and destruction of our own making. The good news is that the world has awoken to this peril we are facing.

The silver lining on the dark cloud of pollution choking our planet is that it spurred nations all over to come together to slow down and hopefully eventually reverse the deterioration of our environment.

Although the meetings, seminars and the understandings signed during global meetings on environmental issues had resulted in more ‘hot air’ than concrete actions, the urgency of the situation, if not anything else would eventually compel the implementation of these grand plans.

In the meantime everyone can play his part in keeping planet Earth clean and preserving it for our children.

If you are not sure about how to go about it, you can take a leaf out of Kimora Lee Simmon’s lifestyle book.

Kimora is a successful model who became a business mogul by building a fashion empire in the United States. Although the main appeal of this show is the celebrity status of the host, this is one celebrity show that is not all glitz and glamour.

The producers of the show tried to bring across an ‘environmental’ message through Kimora’s decision to think green without too much compromise on her luxurious lifestyle.

Her decision to change her lifestyle was because she wanted to play her part in preserving the environment for her two young children.

The reality show tracks her quest to play her part in conserving natural resources and protecting the environment. She began by seeking help from an environmentalist who showed her what she and her audiences could do with tips on how to live environmental friendly lifestyle.

Kimora’s show is one of the more innovative ways to promote environmental conservation but if you are not a fan of reality shows, you can turn to other more conventional sources like websites and books for tips on going green.

Environmental protection is also spawning new industries and business opportunities.

Environmentalists have carved a niche in the fashion industry through recycling materials and blending them with fully organic materials to produce clothes and accessories and their products look and feel as good as those from conventional factories.

These ‘re-creation’ fashion houses are becoming popular in developed countries where the public are more aware of environmental issues but the idea is still considered avant-garde in most countries and so far only a few dared go into this business.

One of those who dared to take this challenge is the US-based designer Philip Lim who is making ‘organic’ business suits for business people and executives who care about the environment.

In Canada, companies like Preloved and On & On are turning clothes from thrift shops, ‘by-the-pound’ stores and clothing graders into trendy outfits.

These recycled clothes and accessories may sometimes cost more than those churned out of polluting factories but if you are serious about walking the talk in environmental protection that is a small price to pay.

Recreated clothing is neither baggy nor dull but every bit as fashionable and trendy as those coming off the assembly line so you make a strong statement on environmental protection through what you wear and use, and still look cool and trendy. That is what Kimora espouses in her reality show, think green and live fabulously.