If you are a parent, at some point you experienced the terrible two's in which your child's response to everything was, "NO!"  Well, I can't quite remember what age is characterized by the response being "why?" but I think I have regressed to that.  Today, I woke up wondering, "Why do people go green?"  I've commented on some of the business benefits to building sustainable businesses  and I've also shared ideas on "how to"…on several sustainable concepts, but really, WHY do people seek eco awareness or move towards a sustainable lifestyle?

If you think about it, everything we do every day has an impact on our planet.  Not everyone was raised with eco awareness, so why and when does it start becoming important?  Speaking from experience in our sustainability consulting, some of the general answers I have received include:

• Families go green for their children
• It saves money
• Living with eco awareness protects the planet for future generations
• Because it's the right thing to do
• Participation in neighborhood or community eco awareness
• It feels good
• Living a sustainable lifestyle is healthier-investing in your body is less toxins and less illness
• It's an opportunity to reconnect with local community
• It's easy to go green now: more options and alternatives available

One thing that I have noticed is that one's stage in life may influence the motivations for seeking eco awareness and going green.    More current, perhaps the issues of today may influence your choices:

• Climate change
• Pollution
• Resource preservation
• Global inequity
• Preserving wildlife
• Political/ business climate

I'm curious and would love to know, "Why do YOU go green?"  Let me know and thanks in advance for the discussion.

Sustainability consultant, Julie Urlaub is the founder and managing partner of Taiga Company. Read more blog post connect on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.