Call me what you will - a liberal, flower-picking hippie, a dirty, tree-hugging freak, or a nerd with nothing better to do than to preach about why I am better than you because I recycle my water bottles. That's not what this is about.

We're talking about some greater cause that has succumbed to a trendy kitsch; a fashionable political statement that has lost all meaning.

As students sport their new tote bags embellished with giant green recycle emblems, found by the dozens at your local Target or Wal-Mart, the cliché green movement once reserved for high-end LA ardor has transcended into the most commonplace of everyday living, and not many of the affected understand what it means.

Here we have "Going Green," starring Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz, and George Clooney, with a thought-provoking message stating that together, we can make this world a better place. How? By trading in your polluting gas-guzzler for a Lexus hybrid SUV. By purchasing reusable bags from your local grocery store, only to store them behind your fridge, never to see the light of day again. By drinking from Starbucks' coffee cups, made from 10 percent post-consumer products, then dumping them in the nearest trash bin.

What was once an innocent cause dedicated to the improvement of humanity has been stripped of all morality and stamped with an attractive logo, all because major corporations recognized the consumer's malleability regarding everything Hollywood. And so, the moment that Leonardo DiCaprio established his own foundation to promote environmental causes, Nordstrom's slapped a bunch of exclamatory hippie t-shirts onto every spoiled teenybopper's back before anyone could say, "That's so chic."

Nonetheless, aside from the media coverage and celebrity advocates, this decade's green movement stands out in its ability to collect a considerable amount of legislative support. Not only are the most beautiful people in the world (i.e. George Clooney) interested in preserving the planet, the leaders of our nation are taking action and making real changes.

For instance, over 7,800 federal lobbyists were hired in 2008 to pressure Congress on energy and environmental issues. Meanwhile, President Barack Obama has been pushing plans to limit the amount of carbon emissions released into the atmosphere since the day he was sworn into office.

With such national lifestyle changes in consideration, we must stand back and wonder, what is the cause of all this? Why go green?

An eco-friendly lifestyle is more than using energy-efficient light bulbs or zipping through five-lane highways in a Prius. The first green movement of the 1970s emphasized the fundamentals of life - taking only what you need. This seems to be the best lesson we could learn, considering we are the most gluttonous, hazardous species on this planet, and we contribute no beneficial traits to the natural ecosystem.

Granted, we can't suddenly immerse ourselves into the wild without domesticities such as a working shower, a full-size mattress, and precut meat, because that's all we were raised to know (Alexander Supertramp already proved that).

Yet, considering our own American habits, we are comparatively the most wasteful culture in terms of food, automotive, and spending way beyond what we can afford.

Try to see the green movement not so much as a pretty color, but as an act of regulation.

Much like one fasts in order to prevent the consumptive sin of gluttony, we must limit our purchases to the bare essentials, which can both indirectly better our planet and directly impact your lifestyle, and your bank account.

That's what this is all about. By taking a look at the green movement as it is today, it's utter silliness and complete seriousness, "Shades of Green" will unveil the movement's positive tactics that can better your own personal lifestyle, whether it be putting your grocery list on a diet, refilling water bottles with filtered tap water or learning the techniques of reusing and recycling.

True, we may be too far into the damage to really fix things at this point, and no matter what, we are slowly heading towards the earth's imminent demise, but if we share whatever is left of its life-sustaining resources, we can enhance its lifespan so we don't have to see our children's children suffocate from lack of vegetation or be microwaved by global warming.