Last week I wrote about the wonderful environmental website DoTheGreenThing.com and just had to share this new video they emailed me this morning. Their environmental storytelling is second to none with its creative and resource-friendly execution. Check out this Plug Out Boy video. Bravo!
You can subscribe to DoTheGreenThing.com by clicking here: subscribe@dothegreenthing.com. Their emails are always fun, and the creative that comes with them is immensely inspirational.
Youth Noise, a social networking site for people under the age of 27 who like to connect based on deeper interests than Paris Hilton’s wardrobe and want to get engaged within a cause, just hosted it’s inaugural DROP Water Summit at Parsons New School for Design in New York. The November 15 summit convened youth environmentalists, social entrepreneurs, innovative leaders, and revolutionary thinkers to discuss water issues and develop projects around global water challenges. Check out the event photos
Sustainable Dave started exactly one year ago to save and manage all of the waste he has generated as a consumer. He has attracted a lot of attention for his feat and to his blog: 365 Days of Trash. You can find his story in many of the major media, including the New York Times, Time Magazine, and NPR.
Here are the rules he’s been living by:
The Rules
1. If something is waste that I have generated, I’ve got to deal with it. If I buy something for myself, the packaging is mine to deal with. Hopefully this will entail figuring out what it is made of, what would happen to it if it were “thrown away” and what I will be doing with it.
2. Any waste that I generate that can be recycled, will also be saved. Recycling is better than “throwing away” but it still takes energy and creates waste so I think accounting for recycling will be an important factor.
3. Any waste, which for health reasons (dog poop, medical waste from doctors visits, etc.) cannot be saved, will at least be noted and examined regarding the impact of its creation and disposal.
4. Food preparation has been something that I have been struggling with as I have a wife and two daughters who are not undertaking this experiment. Since food will be prepared for the family at times, I’ll have to figure out how to account for this and will be as honest as I can be in my accounting as I go along. In order to make up for any possible discrepancy in this area, I have decided that when out with my daughters, I will be responsible for any waste they generate as well.
5. Finally, I know there will be gray areas that I haven’t thought of, and some of this will have to morph as I go along. That said, I think the golden rule is going to be “when in doubt, it’s my responsibility to deal with”.
Ok, so maybe we’re not ready to tackle our 365 days worth of trash this year. So how about a One Week Trash Challenge?
The Story of Stuff represents one of the best examples of storytelling about sustainability for 2008. If there was a green carpet for the online eco movie business, Annie Leonard would certainly be walking down it. Her 20-minute video takes us through the conspicuous consumption of America and what it’s costing our planet. Why does her production work so well?
The Story of Stuff is user-friendly: This is an entertaining jaunt through the five stages of product consumption, including extraction, production, distribution, consumption and disposal with tangible examples in every chapter.
It’s believable: Annie talks about the process in a very friendly, matter-of-fact way that is impactful, because instead of ranting, she’s educating.
It is efficient in its storytelling: The simple animations are fun and clever as they accentuate her points without being overproduced. The creative style further supports the central message of the video: “Conscious consumption.”
It’s universal: The video doesn’t solely rely on its narration to deliver the story. The visuals tell a powerful story in their own right, which makes the piece more accessible to non-English speaking audiences. Demonstrating its global appeal, The Story of Stuff has been translated in 11 languages, which can be downloaded from Annie’s new international website.
Evangelist distribution: Annie has made it easy for anyone to promote and distribute her movie with free banner ads, posters, movie trailers, and the movie itself. She even educates you on how to host a screening.
The Story of Stuff Blog: And of course, Annie has a blog to keep all of her followers up to speed on new stuff about stuff.
It’s a brilliant production backed by a brilliant use of rich, online media to activate the word-of-mouth buzz of person-to-person interaction. That’s how you get nearly 5 million hits to your green video on sustainability. See for yourself.
Does anybody really get the term “carbon footprint?” I know I’m a resource-consuming, carbon-spewing organism on this planet, but making me aware of my carbon tonnage, in the words of the famous robot from Lost In Space, “Does not compute.”
That’s just one example of the problem with green marketing. It’s too distant, intangible, confusing and filled with empty promises. And sometimes a little creepy, like Dr. Smith.
It’s enough to make you want to blog. I’ve spent 15 years in the green marketing business and I’m not crazy about where it’s headed. Green is losing its luster because:
Corporations toss it around like a buzzword without backing it up.
Marketers either weigh too heavily on “soft, feel good” messaging or harsh scare tactics.
Engineers and bureaucrats make it too esoteric for us commoners to relate to. Carbon calculators do the math for us, but give me a backdrop or reference point to what those numbers really mean.
Let me ask you, by creating this blog, what does it cost the earth and what’s my impact on you relative to my carbon footprint? Environmental marketing and messaging can be so intangible.
Corona has a ball selling beer. It’s one of the most distinctive consumer brands out there. Why can’t we have as much fun encouraging consumers to rethink their environmental habits. Why do corporations have to sound like corporations when they’re trumpeting green causes? Is it really so hard to make environmental messaging human?
These are the kinds of questions and subjects I will be exploring in my new blog. I’m a typical ADHD entrepreneur. So to keep it simple and focused for me, and hopefully for you, I have five categories for my deeper-shade-of-green blog.
Consuming Green Stuff is a look at the environmental marketing consumers are being fed, and what is actually resonating with them.
Corporate Enviro Causes will be a collection of best (and worst) environmental messaging practices. I’ll be looking at companies large and small and commenting on how they walk their green talk.
Green Marketing focuses on the growing trend of creating environmental messaging that’s more tangible and consumer-friendly. IBM, for example, has done a nice job in this area, combining cold, blue capitalism with warm, friendly green in their current Disneyesque campaign.
Happy H Wisdom are articles about my background and the influences that guide this blog, starting with my formative years as a kid growing up on the “Happy H” in Woodinville, WA., my folk’s 12-acre spread just above the beautiful Sammamish Valley.
And finally…
My Social Media Odyssey, where I will document and archive my learnin’s, using social media as a tool to promote smart green messaging.
So welcome, and please feel free to comment and share. Who knows, maybe I’ll even offer some carbon credits to offset your time on line.
