Here follows an interruption to the recent drought of updates, a torrent of barely thought out words, straight from the brain, unedited into the computer and onto the screen. Maybe with a little spell checking..
After this interruption will follow some genuine updates – all photos have been uploaded now and normal blogging service shall commence shortly.
This week’s tongue in cheek rant (the Monday Morning Mumble) is pseudo corporate greenness, or jumping on the environmental bandwagon..
Yes, yes, there are probably many companies doing the right things, changing policies etc. but the sceptic in me can’t help but think that much of it is a gesture to be able to look “green” without actually doing much.
Hard cash and profit, as always in big business, is the bottom line. This will dictate what happens, not a fuzzy warm feeling from making a change for the greater good.
That is not the subject of this post however. Business is business and I’m not trying to change the world. Especially as I don’t have a better idea for a world scale business model.
It’s these little gestures that annoy and amuse me. At the same time, confusingly.
For example, the airline sick bag which has the words, “Please protect the environment, only use when appropriate” printed on the side.
This message is puzzling in itself, perhaps there has been an influx of people abusing sick bags lately.
The clincher to this, and the reason it is mentioned, was the package it came in – a brand new copy of the airline magazine, a brand new shopping catalogue and other assorted paper junk, all wrapped in an abundance of plastic.
This smacks of irony with a little pinch of hypocrisy, especially as the message is coming from an airline. To save face on Cathay Pacific’s behalf, their name won’t be mentioned again..
Another example is the popular fast food chain, McDonald’s, in Hong Kong, where some jazzy, colourful slogan is proudly displayed in large type about keeping the world green.
Their proposal?
The fabulously not so catchy, “Don’t use straws Tuesdays and Thursdays”.
They missed a trick there, it doesn’t even rhyme.
A tad cheeky too – put the onus on the customer to be green on behalf of the company.
Now, I’m positive my facts aren’t straight here but I’m fairly sure that large amount of forests are cleared around the world to make way for cows to graze, semi destructively, before being made into tasty beef products.
This is starting to sound a little hippyesque now, which wasn’t the intention, especially as I eat beef, was in MaccyD’s at the time and flew halfway round the world to see that slogan.
It hasn’t escaped my attention that I’m happily paddling in a pool of irony myself – writing about lack of substance behind corporate environmental policy, whilst sat on a plane as part of a carbon crushing voyage round the world.
I do recycle and turn off the lights when I leave the room though.
This rant will be continued after the air conditioning is turned up a little, it’s too hot to think straight right now..
Still, despite the moan, it is a start, opinion is starting to change, every little helps and other relevant cliches..
Human nature more or less runs by the rule that if it’s not blowing up in your face, don’t fix it. When it inevitably does, panic wildly for a while then come up with some genius solutions that could have easily been done a long time previously.
We are good at that. Very good.
It may not work this time though.
These token gestures and snappy slogans seem to be popping up more and more and compared to the bigger picture a cynic might suspect a marketing exercise on the back of a rise in public awareness in matters green.
As long as you look like you are doing the right thing, look like you are doing something positive, right?
Right….
So, a solution is needed.
I suggest a revolutionary new fuel source. Something spectacular, that makes the discovery and harnessing of electricity look trivial.
Come on scientists, stop wasting time!
Instead of inventing things like self lowering toilet seats and cupboards that open at the clap of hands, put those keenly trained brains to work and get on with it.
The world will thank you.
For shock value, here’s a shocking picture:
And here’s a lovely green shot:
Better make that two:
Isn’t the world a beautiful place at times?
Let’s all hold hands and get that warm fuzzy feeling.
Getting back to the getting on with it theme, it’s time to get on with the updates..
MondayMorningMutiny.com 