Green capitalism: Introducing 'Personal Eco-Concierges

Attention "environmentally-friendly yet clueless" consumers: If you can't figure out how to go green, there's now someone willing to do it for you... for the right price, of course.

The New York Times (who else?) reports:

They will run your errands by bicycle, recommend a spa that gives vegan manicures or buy organic clothes for you and your dog. They will even book you a dream vacation and buy the appropriate carbon offsets.

Green living is just so much easier when you have your own personal environmental concierge.

“The problem with going green is that people think it takes so much work, so much effort, so much conscious decision-making,” said Letitia Burrell, president of Eco-Concierge NYC, a year-old business in Manhattan that tries to make it easy for people to rid their homes of toxins, hire sustainable-cuisine chefs and find organic dry cleaners.

Memberships range from $175 a month to $3,500 a year, depending on the level of service. Or you can opt for à la carte service at $25 to $50 an hour.

It is a niche business, but a clever one. At least a half-dozen services of this type have sprung up around the country in recent years, both to help time-starved consumers manage their lives and to assuage the guilt of those who worry that they are letting the planet down.

This venture reminds me of the kiosks in airports asking you to purchase "carbon credits" to offset your air travel -- as if swiping your credit card magically cools the earth's temperature.

We may seriously have to rethink the phrase "There's a sucker born every minute" to accommodate modern-day ecomaniacs.