Are You A Green Hypocrite?
Green cars, green this, green that. Every company in the world is green. You’re shunned if you drive a big SUV. Hogwash, all of it. They’re all hypocrites!
I just read a blog post over at Seth Godin’s titled “Packaging for Retail”. Here’s an excerpt:
Item 1: My Logitech cordless remote (which I like a lot) came in plastic, non-recyclable packaging that weighed twice as much as the remote itself.* The plastic was so well sealed and so thick that I actually broke a kitchen knife trying to open it. (*this is not hyperbole. I weighed it).
This is expensive, time-consuming and positions the product as extremely ungreen.
Seth mentions “being green” a lot. But here’s where he’s hypocritical (like most people). He writes books. Books are made from? Paper. Paper means cutting down trees? Is that green? Okay, so it’s assumed the books he writes are on recycled paper right? BUZZZZZ. Check out his latest book “Meatball Sundae”, ah, er…not made from recycled paper as far as I can see. No pretty recycled logo I can find anywhere. Hypocritical if in fact true? Me thinks so. If he were REALLY green he’d sell his book online but I have to guess that there is no money in that.
Companies try and say they are green (marketing spin) but they’re really not. They do some limited “stuff” but in reality what they do is pointless. People say they are green by doing limited “stuff” like recycling, buying smaller cars etc.
But if you want to be green, really green then do it. Don’t just change a few things and think you’re saving the world because you’re not. Stop having children, that’s green. More people on this earth is the worst thing you can do if you’re really green. Walk to work with shoes made from something that doesn’t add to the greenhouse effect (good luck with that one).
You see being green requires a commitment. A real genuine commitment. Not a hypocritical, sort of green, try and make yourself look good commitment. Being green is a lifestyle. It’s not something you brag about to your friends.
That’s why 99% of people who say they are green are hypocrites. I don’t say I’m green even though I’m more green than most of the 99%.
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May 15th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Hypocrite used to be a really strong accusation. Unfortunately, it’s lost a lot of its meaning.
My point about Logitech is simple: If they changed the packaging intelligently and bravely, the following would occur:
a. sales would go up
b. costs would go down
c. waste would go down
d. shipping costs would go down
Your point about books is not similar. I do almost all my work online. Almost all my writing on the blog, almost all my presentations virtually. If I didn’t write books, though, and I didn’t go to conferences to speak, my sales would go down and my message wouldn’t spread as far.
That’s not being a hypocrite. That’s treating different audiences differently and using the best appropriate solution in the moment.
Right?
May 15th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
Seth, thanks for stopping by the blog. Your thoughts an opinion matter and since we can’t have this conversation on your blog I’m glad you stopped by ours. Here are my thoughts…
I read your blog and you talk about being green in many of your posts (like the one where the hotel had the AC blasing for instance). All I’m saying is if you feel that way you should probably have your books made on recycled paper (just to stay consistent with what you say). If you find hypocrite to be the wrong word that’s cool.
I guess my point is that people say one thing and do another. You sell books because it is a major revenue stream for you. If you were to sell them online, well it may cost you a few bucks. Is it green? Especially if it isn’t on recycled paper? No. But you justify that by saying you treat different audiences differently and using the best appropriate solution in the moment.
I guess we can all make some justifications for what we do and how we do it. But when you tell others what to do and how to do it then you open yourself up as well.
Just my thoughts as a branding guy.
May 16th, 2008 at 9:12 am
No need to turn this into a huge debate, but recycled paper for books is like a flag pin for politicians. It’s not the essence of the problem.
Also, I make very little money from publishing books, just fyi. I do it to spread ideas to people who don’t enjoy reading stuff online.
Have a good one.
May 16th, 2008 at 10:03 am
No debate…thanks for coming by. I read your blog often, you certainly have some nuggets in it. Spreading the word is a good thing.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:37 am
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