The public is dazed and confused. Shopping with Mother Earth in mind is no mean feat, even for the most savvy of shoppers. After all, understanding the environmental implications of something as simple as paper versus plastic shopping bags requires digesting a fair amount of science, some of which is inconclusive, contradictory, or simply arguable. Both, after all, come from limited, declining resources, can be made from recycled material, and can be recycled. Even the scientists don't agree.
People lack perspective.
Similarly, most people don't have a clue about the relative environmental impacts of the things they do every day. You make the call. The whole notion of green consumerism unwittingly contributes to this lack of perspective. The dirty little secret of green consumerism is that we're not likely to shop our way to environmental health. Companies making greener products are afraid to speak up.