Lifestyles of the Rich and Eco-Sensitive

This past weekend’s Wall Street Journal featured a Wealth Report called “Living Large While Being Green,” which raises some interesting questions about the intersection of environmentalism, lifestyle choices, and trend-setting.

Some point out that the wealthy are by far our biggest polluters, and therefore a marginal change in their environmental impact makes a big difference overall. Making their mansions more energy-efficient, filling empty travel legs on their carbon-spewing jets, and collecting atmospheric data from their oceangoing yachts – these sorts of “green” efforts make lifestyles of the rich and famous, if not a positive for the planet, then at least a much smaller negative.