I asked the caller from what side of the fence he stood, green or other, but he danced around the question. Regardless, his point is well taken, and I said so. Our mag is not perfect. We have a lot of sprucing up to do before we're really green. Our delivery vehicles are not hybrids, and I cannot vouch for the greenness of every person attached to the mag.

Good-quality recycled paper is expensive, and many publications that use it pass off the expense to consumers. We're distributed free to readers; the entire expense of producing it is ours. Our source of revenue is from the sale of ads, a side of us that needs a boost of sunlight and fertilizer before we can cultivate environmentally friendly paper. It's either that or no mag.

Our parent company, Durango Herald Inc., produces several publications, including The Durango Herald newspaper, which we're proud to say is printed on 80-percent recycled paper and uses soybean-based ink. The cost of both newsprint and glossy is reflected in how the publications look inside and out. Inside/Outside Southwest magazine grew nearly overnight after overhauling its look by switching from newsprint to glossy.

Few of the 45,000 copies we print each issue remain on racks after a publication cycle, which tells us a good many readers opt not to insult our well-intentioned efforts. And if there are uncirculated copies, we recycle them.

More importantly, I think, is that our hearts not only keep us working toward a profitability that can afford eco-friendly printing like the Durango Herald but reporting stories that advocate green living and business practices.

To a business, green comes neither cheap nor easy. Green comes easier when you're wealthy, and we as a business would like very much to prove the point. Wealthy or poor, we'll continue to lend a voice in support of efforts to reduce our region's carbon footprint. We think that voice is worth the paper it's printed on. If that makes us hypocritical, we stand accused. Jerk included.