Green is the new black.

Normally, we reserve something like that for fashion statements but this time, we’re talking about the environment.

Ever since Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” hit the market, and even before, celebrities and companies have pushed the green agenda right and left.

People search for organic items in the grocery store and try to switch out light bulbs for ones that burn less energy.

And although the “going green” fad seems great for the environment, we have to wonder – will it last?

How many Americans will actually keep environmentally friendly practices when they realize that buying green products costs more than the cheap brands they’re used to buying?

Unpublished NPD Group data, a leading global research company, says that although 57 percent of Americans believe eco-friendly products have importance, only 19 percent consider spending the extra money on those products.

Companies can’t keep up the green movement for much longer.

Americans have too much apathy when it comes to the environment. Changing a culture’s mentality takes a lot more effort than putting out cutesy “Go Green!” T-shirts and building ritzy grocery stores that sell only organic foods.

Americans went through a period of environmental awareness in the early 1970s when Earth Day began.

But when a cause doesn’t seem to affect our everyday lives, we tend to forget about it.

We hope students realize the environment does affect our everyday lives. Turning off lights and unplugging appliances when not in use conserves energy and helps the environment.

If students really want to embrace the green lifestyle, take time to walk or bike to class instead of driving.

ACU’s new initiatives have great potential, but they won’t have an effect if students don’t realize how much impact they can have on the environment.

And next time you’re at the store and see one of those cute “Go Green” T-shirts, think about what going green really means before you decide to wear one.