For me, it seems, there’s nothing quite like a good argument to keep the creative juices flowing. That’s one of the reasons that I like playing around in the Myspace forums so much. The following is excerpted from an exchange between myself and a gal with a website for "green" business listings.
[Green Ambassador program] wrote:
I appreciate your frustration at people (and companies) who simply encourage consumption of green products. Buying "green" stuff will never help us clean up this planet and make the changes that MUST be made on a societal level. However, at least for GenGreen, we are not selling a tangible product, we are trying to be a resource. We are trying to put people in touch with the LOCAL SUSTAINABLE people, businesses and organizations who are doing their best to be clean and ethical in their daily practice. I’m interested in what your comments would be to this part of the article- regardless of how "deletable" you may assume they are.
KRS wrote:
Before I begin, are you sure that you want my answer? I mean, I wouldn’t want to rob you of your meaning and purpose (or your livelihood). I know a good marketing scheme when I see one. Green Ambassadors—my ass.
Cool prizes, potentially free travel opportunities. … The kids that fall for this stuff are gullible sales operatives, nothing more. I only know this because I used to use them to sell print media advertising.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that we can’t be friends on Myspace. I admire what you are doing, in spite of your fundamental error. It is the same mistake that most folks make, in looking for change from without instead of from within. You said it yourself: "Buying ‘green’ stuff will never help us clean up this planet and make the changes that MUST be made on a societal level." So, why provide a vehicle for those who are merely trying to make a buck on all the hype about going green? Besides, you’re not doing it for free; you’re merely enabling the bad guys while collecting a buck or two for yourself along the way.
In my view, there are already enough folks earning a living without really producing anything. Economic activity translates to negative impact on the environment, pure and simple. Superfluous economic activity, —that is, where no tangible product is produced or exchanged, is the most detrimental of all.
And by the way, fifteen bucks for a gengreen.com T-shirt is a rip-off. I can get a perfectly good T-shirt in my own neighborhood for three or four bucks; and that translates into much, much less environmental impact in the long run, even if the shirt would have come all the way from China.
Think about it folks. Don’t be fooled by all the hype. Going green is not about finding the "green" products in your area; it’s about discovering a need for less products and enjoying the fruits of frugal living.
On a personal note, I understand that we’ve all got to earn a living somehow. (My books are not exactly all "green" either.) But there seems to be a growing need for us to keep things in their proper perspective. We can’t network and shop our way out of this mess that we’ve gotten ourselves into. We’ve got to make some hard choices. Although, once those choices have been made, I think, most will discover that the benefits of simple living are far greater than the "sacrifices" which one must make in order to achieve our mutual goal of significantly reducing our impact on the environment.
Let’s not forget that the problem is that we consume too much.
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Kim,
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking the time to formulate such a passionate response to the MySpace forum discussion (and post it on your blog). You are correct- consumption, products- this is not the ultimate answer. And yes- as a for profit company we are inevitably part of the machine that's causing the damage.
I have no desire to engage in virtual sparring with you, but as a member of a team of individuals who care deeply about the progression of a true and sincere movement towards environmental stewardship, and someone who has worked hard to make the Ambassador program so much more than a marketing scheme, I'd just like to clarify a few things.
1. Our focus is localization- A return to economically strong communities that support themselves from within, without the crushing interference of global corporations. As such, an overwhelming percentage of the businesses we list on our site are family run, single location endeavors. Not to mention that many are also non-profit organizations working for environmental and social justice- and aren't selling anything. Then of course, there are the actual RESOURCES that we list on our site, farmers' markets, bike co-ops, CSAs, hiking trails, parks, green building workshops, community gardens, recycling centers, car sharing programs, and more- merely names, details and locations so that people can use them instead of their conventional counterparts.
2. Businesses can be listed on our site ABSOLUTELY FREE. Yes, there are paid options if they so desire, but they are not required. Thus making us zero "bucks along the way."
3. The Ambassador program was created in response to users of our site who wanted to know how they could help GenGreen grow when it was a very young company. (Of course, you probably won't believe that, but that's irrelevant). The Ambassadors are not a "street team," they are not recruited. They are volunteers who use the program as a way to organize and focus the environmental activism they are already engaged in in their own communities. Yes, they wear our t-shirts at green events and tell people about their involvement with GenGreen- but they are not forced or coerced into doing those things in any way. It's obvious you read our Program Overview page, but did you take a look at the Ambassadors in Action? These are people that took our Eco-Tasks as an opportunity to reach out to their friends and community organizations, to educate each other about sustainability concepts that may be new to them, and to support local businesses that are trying to minimize their environmental impact. I am proud to say I have a personal relationship with each of our Ambassadors and am happy to reward their efforts with small gifts that are donated by companies we work with, because, as I'm sure you know, being an environmentalist can often be a thankless task.
4. Yes, you're right. I'm sure there are cheaper t-shirts in your town. And- ultimately, wouldn't it be better to make our own t-shirts than bothering the people of China for their $4 ones? We offer this merchandise for people who wish to further support GenGreen's efforts. As you can see by visiting our site, it's not something we actively "push" on people.
5. As you said, "We can’t network and shop our way out of this mess that we’ve gotten ourselves into." I wholeheartedly agree. But sharing knowledge and experiences with like minded people, supporting and holding each other accountable, and making smarter, simpler choices will. That is what we're attempting to facilitate.