Hey President Obama's Marketing Director

I know you are all about "Green Initiatives" and all of that.  So here's my question:  How does the purchase of more plastic water bottles serve that purpose?  I am all for capitalism and funding the "Change" we all wish to see, but I am at a loss for words when these gimmicks are thrown out to the masses.  A $15 water bottle to show support?  I have an idea, use one you already own and create your own "I love Obama" logo on it.  Honestly, get an aluminum bottle that costs less and is better for everyone.  

People:  support the cause by reducing your own impact by not purchasing silly gimmicks.

Obama Marketing:  You do great work!

Footprint Revisited

This is the last of my footprint blogs for the scholastic quarter.  I have been making serious efforts to reduce my impact on the environment over the past few months, but due to the simplistic nature of the questionnaire and the lack of serious detail that I could apply to my answers I ended up with almost the same score.

Let's Review

 Old Footprint

 = 3.6 Earths, 15.8 global acres

New Footprint Calculation 

= 3.5 Earths, 15.5 global acres

To be quite honest with you I am not terribly sure how exactly this all adds up.  In my opinion I feel that any improvement is a step in the right direction.  In our class we had discussions about the nature of the survey and how an individual's answers are weighted according to where in the world they are due to cultural societal norms and expectations.  For instance, a person answering all of the same questions in the same exact manner might end up with two less Earths simply because they are from a country that is believed to be less wasteful and more proactive in reducing global impacts.  Either way, my numbers have dropped and the exercise has led me to be more thoughtful in the ways in which I interact with my environment and the methods in which I make decisions on food, electricity, and transportation.  

In my first post I had to throw down a few things that I could do to reduce my footprint and be more mindful.  Of the things that I had listed most of them were pretty easy to handle, especially due to the changing of the seasons.  Reducing my energy use for heating?  Right.  As for the efforts that I have taken to unplug appliances and turn off my power strips I have been doing really good.  I have incorporated those actions into my pre-departure routine.  I also stopped purchasing sandwich meat.  I have really missed my peppered turkey and provolone sandwiches with lettuce, pickle, mayo, and garlic mustard.  Yum.  

Half-way through the quarter I reevaluated my methods and included reducing my water use.  My initial thoughts were that if I washed everything all at once it would be a better deal.  That worked out.  I have also been very careful to keep my dish washing water usage to a minimum.  I have actually taken a different stance on the water issue in a fashion.  I have decided that if I drink as much water as possible it will help me keep my system flushed and running smoothly.  I don't think this has very much to do with my footprint.  I mean, really, that's not included in a wasteful category.  

I guess I will leave this with one or two thoughts on my sustainability:  I feel that I will continue to take greater strides toward being completely mindful of the ways in which I interact with my environment and the methods I use to reduce my waste.  I strongly believe in the Food Plus Recycling program that we have in Bellingham and will continue to increase my knowledge of the composting and closed-loop processes that work for our environment, not against it!

Instant Marketing: Barcodes in Media

Transworld Snow is implementing a new technology this year that will make life a little bit easier for the consumer.   To connect with up to date information and an interactive web experience is going to be easier than ever before.  Scanning the ScanLife barcode with a mobile reader, i.e. smart phone, the user/consumer will be sent to the URL page.  This enables the advertisers to update the media links and news associated with their products and services without having to focus on costly modifications to media plans already being executed. 

Content is always current because the barcode can be updated immediately at any time. Advertisers can place these barcodes on any physical media, eliminating the need to type in Web addresses or search for specific content. 

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Publisher Adam Cozens

The world of marketing it is all about fixing a problem, or at least creating an opportunity.  Apparently typing in a web address is a bit of a problem.  It is time consuming and not always the most convenient on the fly.  In order to crack the clutter the barcode system will allow the brand to instantly connect their market to the brand community.


Read the press release and further information @ TWBusiness

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