I Challenge You
Posted by Brian Wong on Apr 19, 2009, under AerThoughts
With Earth Day just around the corner, the environment is now on everybody’s minds. Including the corporate minds.
I have a challenge: I challenge you, the corporations, to do something for the environment this year in the spirit of Earth Day without telling anyone about it. That’s right, no commercials, no press releases, no newspaper ads, nothing.
Recognition comes when recognition is deserved. Telling people about what your doing is fundamentally less profound than telling people what’s been done.
This sends an underlying message about corporate social responsibility. We, as consumers, are now desensitized to “green” messages. We will not buy your product more just because you’ve told us you’re doing green things.
We will, however, buy your product if doing so makes a meaningful, positive impact onto the environment. Show us the trees you claim to plant. Show us the tons and tons of carbon emissions you have already eliminated, and also tell us how much money you’ve made off of that. That means you Apple: using less packaging has made you save money on packaging. I want to know how much you’ve saved. I also want to know how much of the environment you’ve saved as well. It’s time to take a different stance. Corporations deserve the money they’ve saved by being truly green. The message and the means aren’t all we’re after: it’s the ends as well.
