Our Bay: This Week's Take: Stretching our green wallets thin

We've tightened our grasp on our pocketbooks since the economy tumbled, and we wonder, has stingier spending made us a lighter shade of green than we used to be?

When we shop, we can choose organic fruit, products with less packaging, green cleaners (or the ingredients to make our own), cage-free eggs and free-range meat. We can choose to spend the extra few thousand on a hybrid car, install a solar water heater or buy wind power credits.

But will green thrive in a recession, or will it wilt in this fiscal climate? During harsh economic times, will we consider some aspects of our green living and eco-consciousness fat to...