For three days, the top entrepreneurs, activists, visionaries and thinkers of the LOHAS movement gathered in Boulder, Colorado for their annual gathering. And then there was me.

LOHAS stands for "Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability," aka headquarters for the green movement--and attending my first LOHAS Forum, brought me face-to-face not only with nature (which I'm for) but human nature (about which I'm ambivalent.)

The moment that about says it all was when I discovered what LOHAS regulars already know: the gift rooms are where the action is at. Tables, laden with fair-trade chocolate, jewelry and wallets; a five-piece make-up set of tools made out of bamboo and cruelty-free bristles; pens, toothbrushes and t-shirts, made out of recyclable materials and good for the planet.

Arrive at this portal of righteous plenty, and you are presented with a biodegradable classic string bag to fill with your choice of delights. The caveat: only take what you actually need and will use. Well, who doesn't need one of everything? In went earth-friendly lipstick, biodegradable/disposable plates made out of palm leaves, the giant-size bar of fair-trade chocolate (of course) and more. (See my list of Top 7 green gifts I wouldn't return.)

I lugged my treasures with me down the two flights of stairs to the ballroom, settling my hoard beneath my chair to hear the next group of presenters alternately terrifying us with warnings about the dire consequences of over-consumption if the human race doesn't wise up fast—and pointing the way towards promises of paradise on earth if only we become willing to take one small step up the evolutionary ladder.

I wasn't the only one gently kicking her mesh bag of goodies further under the chair when Ray Anderson, chairman of the board of Interface, Inc., manufacturer of environmentally-friendly carpet tiles, tagged the next, great economic revolution: "More happiness. Less stuff."

The tension built as Steve French of Natural Marketing Institute put the number of hard-core LOHAS consumers, the ones presumably with the limpest bags, at 17%; but the combined categories of people with good intentions who don't follow through and those who are unconcerned tops out at a hefty 40%.

The climax, however, came not from data nor pundit—but rather, a comment made in passing by a panelist. Paraphrasing Wolf Ludge, CEO of hessnatur, a German manufacturer of clothing: "Do we really need a new pair of shorts--even if they are made from recycled materials? Probably not."

To make a long story short, it was a lot easier lugging the bag of goodies down two flights of stairs than it was to lug it back up. But I could not get back to the gift room fast enough. In quick order, I replaced the giant chocolate bar, the disposable plates made from palm leaves, the t-shirt and the lipstick. (Counting the free samples and half-used tubes of lipsticks I've already collected over the years, I've probably got enough for 4,000 pairs of lips: certainly, enough to last me a lifetime.) I did keep the toothbrush, however. (I'd forgotten mine at home.)

But here's the real take-away. The earnest young woman hosting the room witnessed my earth-friendly act and, kid you not, there were tears in both our eyes. You see, if there's hope for me, there's hope for the planet. I mean, after all, we were talking about free chocolate! more inside the nation»