'Green' Generation Gets Eco Emblem:

NEW YORK, April 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Earth Day will mark a significant point in the evolution of the American lexicon -- the death of the Yuppie and the birth of the Scuppie (Socially Conscious Upwardly-mobile Person).

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080306/NETHFNS1-a )

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080306/NETHFNS1-b )

The blogosphere is abuzz with chatter about this long-awaited successor in the hippie-preppie-yuppie progression. Some love the Scuppie, some view them with contempt and skepticism.

Love them or hate them ... the fact is that they are most certainly here.

Vast hordes of Scuppies already roam the landscape. You can find them at the local Starbucks, listening to World music and earnestly asking the barista whether the espresso is ground from free-trade beans. They're in front of you at Whole Foods buying $7-a-bunch endive. They're trading in their Hummers for hybrids.

The term Scuppie was coined by Chuck Failla -- president of a Manhattan- based financial planning firm.

"Gordon Gekko has gone green," says Failla. "These days, more Americans not only want to live well, but want to also do good, or at least do no evil. They still love money and conspicuous displays of affluence. But now, the way to achieve status is to trade in the Beemer for a Toyota Prius, spend $50,000 putting solar panels on the roof, and acquire a chic new wardrobe fashioned entirely of hemp, soy fiber, and recycled tires."

Failla coined the term Scuppie one day at his office when a co-worker overheard one of his phone conversations.

"She asked whether I had picked up a new client. When I explained that I was doing some pro-bono work for a homeless organization, she shot a skeptical glance at my Armani suit and Rolex, and responded, only half-jokingly, that she couldn't believe a 'Yuppie scum' like me would do anything for free," says Failla. "That momentarily threw me for a loop, but then I had an epiphany."

Failla responded to his accuser, "Hey, it's entirely possible to be socially conscious and desire upward mobility at the same time."

Scuppie was born.

Do Scuppies believe they can change the world by buying incredibly expensive free-range chicken and solar panels? Some do. Most, however, are quick to admit they are more than willing to help the environment -- provided, of course, that they're not too inconvenienced.

This less-than-zealous approach has drawn a fair amount of flack from the tree-hugger crowd. Failla rebuts his 'greener-than-thou' critics by saying, "Sure...you will not see a Scuppie in the rainforest chained to an old growth tree or on the high seas buzzing an oil tanker in an inflatable boat, but considering most of us are recovering Yuppies, cut us some slack. At least we're not tossing our spent single-malt-scotch bottles in the trash anymore."

Read more Scup-a-ganda and check out some funny Scuppie graphics at http://www.scuppie.com.