"Going Green"

I don't usually watch a lot of television.  

Last week I was at my friend's place for dinner and we happened to have the TV on while we were eating.  Wheel of Fortune was on and they kept saying that they were "Going Green".  I love that Vanna White doesn't age.  Neither does Pat Sajack.  That dude looks the same as he did when I was a youngster watching the show from the kitchen table while Mom was cooking.  Something tells me that he has done a thing or two to reverse the effects of time on his carbon makeup.  

Anyway,  before and after every commercial break they would cut to footage of Vanna in a park or around some trees telling the world that they are "Going Green."  I find that it is interesting to note that they never mentioned how.  I thought about the principles of going green and could not reason how a show that is based on viewership and shiny lights, promoting products and services as prizes that contradict the notion of being better to the environment is truly achieving this result.  Are they using energy saving lighting and less electricity?

One of the prizes that was offered to the contestants was a trip for two to a vacation getaway with roundtrip airfare and and elaborate schedule of exotic adventures.  I personally find it hard to believe that a show that is supposedly "Going Green" overlooked the fact that sending people on airplanes doesn't reduce carbon emissions or plant trees.  How about donating the cost of that prize to the National Park Service or DNR to keep our trees and parks from being demolished.

As I watched the show I listened closely to see what they were doing to be more environmentally conscious.  There was mention that Vanna's dress was environmentally friendly.  That seemed pretty vague, but it was a really nice looking dress.  The show ended and I didn't see anything leading me to believe that they are doing anything more than someone else cashing in on the phrase "Going Green."  Ironic?  

I guess to Wheel giving away green with a greener colored stage set-up and Vanna in a green dress was enough to convince themselves it was a worthy effort and warranted such an expression of environmental concern.  To me it seems this is a prime example of the definition of greenwashing.

Patagonia's Sustainable Initiatives

This morning I to opened my email to find that the Transworld Business Daily Update focused on Sustainability.  Transworld Business is a magazine publication dedicated to board and action sports and what goes on behind the scenes on the business side of the house.  

Earlier this week in class we had discussed the efforts of Patagonia to remove some of the informational barriers and opening their operations to the public in order to show that they are not perfect, but at least they are trying really hard and not lying about it.  I found that this interview with Jen Rapp really solidified that stance on being "Green" and taking active steps toward reducing the organizations impact on the Earth.  Something that was mentioned in the interview that really held some weight with me is the statement:

"Patagonia really believes there’s no steps that are too small."


I have noticed that in the action sports world there really aren't a whole lot of ways to reduce the damaging practices while continuing to provide the consumer/ athlete with the highest quality of performance good.  Certainly there are some practices that are completely unable to be "Green".  For example, Rapp states "There’s no such things as green neoprene."  But they will still continue to make their wet-suits.  I like that.  


The payoff of taking an honest approach to the question of how sustainable a business operation versus "greenwashing" results in greater consumer attitude toward the company as a whole. Patagonia has done an excellent job of sharing their hopes of reducing their impact and refining their practices to provide a product that is less harmful to the environment while still great for the end user.  Any step truly is a good step toward the end goal of being more responsible, even if it means taking a cut at the margin  during the time that it takes for the dynamic to shift.  For now being green may be more expensive, but once we all get on "board" we can bring down the cost of responsible and environmental manufacturing.

Full Article:  "Catching Up With: Patagonia’s Jenn Rapp On Environmental Intiatives | TransWorld Business "Patagonia really believes there’s no steps that are too small." http://bit.ly/aEGLjg