Cleaner for the Environment, Not for the Dishes

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/19/science/earth/19clean.html?_r=1&ref=science

This article poses an interesting question: Is it worth it for a product to suffer in respect to its quality in order to become more environmentally friendly? In this article, the new phosphorus-free formula of Cascade dishwasher detergent was used as an example. Although the new product lacks in phosphorous, which is know to pollute water supplies, many customers claimed that the effectiveness on dishes is very poor. As many companies try to "go green," they often consciously decide to make their product more expensive, less convenient, and less effective. This is a trade off that many customers are not willing to make, including many who purchased the new Cascade dishwasher detergent. This example proves that change made to preserve the environment is very difficult to make, and not even worth it to some. In my opinion, companies and individual people need to either figure out how to make products that are both effective and environmentally safe, or they just need to make a sacrifice and use less than ideal products. Otherwise, the environment will continue to be depleted and polluted.