This summer I鈥檝e found a minor new passion 鈥� painting green.

Actually, I would probably enjoy painting with any colour, but green happens to be the colour of everything I need to paint, it also makes for a good metaphor.

I鈥檝e discovered our house has a lot of green surfaces; first it was the deck, and then the trim around all the windows, doors and more. 

The deck was a family project, but was like a brush with destiny for me 鈥� I just couldn鈥檛 put my painting implement down after that.

There鈥檚 something appealing about the smooth swish-swash of the brush, refreshing the wooden surfaces and providing a new resistance against the elements. 

Faded green or even brown in places is renewed with a fresh new promise of green. 

The other night as the sun was setting I was on the roof painting green, listening to praise songs through my oldest son鈥檚 open window. 

The creator鈥檚 power flowed and a few drops of it trickled down to my paint brush. Wonderful.

Hopefully by now you鈥檝e picked up on the metaphor. We are all to wield brushes that flow green over all we do. 

No other colour is needed, and the effect of this green passion is purposeful, penetrating and perpetual. 

The term 鈥渆nvironmentalist鈥� is losing its importance in our society, and this is a good thing. 

More and more people are picking up green paintbrushes, rather than just a few of us taking on a radical green hue. The old, worn ways of doing things unsustainably are getting washed over by new waves of green.

I鈥檓 not saying we are anywhere near finished this paint job. 

I鈥檓 just saying that we are all learning new ways to do things more greenly. 

And we must make sure it is a good job, not 鈥済reenwashing鈥� 鈥� the term used to describe practices and products that are purported to be green but really aren鈥檛.

For example, in the 2010 annual greenwashing report by terrachoice, although 168 toys claimed to be 鈥済reener鈥� there was little proof that any were, in fact, greener.

And if our green practices are attempting to paint over wood that is rotten, there鈥檚 not much point.  

Even two or three coats of paint won鈥檛 help. 

For example, the efficiency of our use of fossil fuels is increasing all the time, but ultimately these finite resources must be replaced by renewable energy sources. 

Then we can continue to brush up on the new energy sources.

David Clements is professor of biology and environmental studies at Trinity Western University.