Marketing is a dirty word and an industry built around information sharing. I’ve been in marketing for 20+ years, and yeah, there’s a whole lot of evil there. I’ve marketed everything from dildos to multi-function printers to freight trains. Whether you like it or not, it’s part of the machine you’ll have to contend with… even getting on here, talking about the lack of information about lithium-biohazards is information sharing. It falls under “native advertising.”
Ok, previous question RE us disagreeing and greenwashing.
I’m not entirely disagreeing with you other than on the ableism front and the information approach. For individuals with seen or unseen physical, emotional, or mental reasons, not everyone is going to be able to be 100% person-powered. Fossil fuels & lithium batteries are our options at the moment. Yes, we need more options. No, it won’t happen overnight. I love Greta’s fight, and we need Gretas in the world. Alternatively, Gretas and PETA etc. are polarizing and create as much false information machines as they help.
Greenwashing, or now the “do good” shit companies are doing is a good example of how the machine works. Around 2000, organic and “green” building materials were starting to take hold. Individual consumers were wanting more organic options and low/no VOC building materials. Eventually LEAD certifications and organic certifications were passed. Now, this didn’t stop companies putting “natural” on things as marketing or using words like green, eco-friendly, blah blah blah to their advantage. Technically, everything starts its lifecycle on the Periodic Table, so “natural” can be applied, but you and I know it’s bullshit. This all starts at the individual consumer level, and the drive for a market. You must push from down below. So, anyway, certifications happened, more greenwashing happened. It all grows to a point where NOW you can go to New Seasons and have a whole store of organic, but that took a decade of compromise.
Fast forward to 2010. I’m working in a colo/DR facility (server farm like the giant thing in the gorge owned by google.) These things are huge energy consuming beasts. One of the anchor tenants we wanted insisted we had enough energy carbon neutralizing credits in order to secure their business. They’re a huge SaaS company. THIS is where the 10 years of diligence and marketing pays off. A SaaS company out of California insists anyone they do business with is truly green and can back it up with receipts. We comply in order to get them, then I turn around and push it out on our marketing that we are a green company in order to further the agenda that responsible business practices are how it SHOULD be, and further the cause. Finally, something I wanted came to be, and we could push it out. Our customers then push it out that they use a green company for their DR (disaster recovery: required by a lot of business including all your medical, banking, public companies, etc.)
This is where over a decade of work and compromise on an individual level, and you’re right, research and facts and stats, finally come full circle and become part of our culture. It takes a lot more than holding press conferences and getting angry.
I’m not perfect. When Cone Mills in NC closed, I cried. I’m anti fast fashion. Then I wrote a piece in the Huff Po. That is nothing but a pretty thing on my resume. It does nothing. I know that. I wrote about many local small batch manufacturers. 3 of which are now closed. I cried again. But my work in the sewing community? That’s real. That’s my real work against fast fashion. That’s quantifiable and that helps.
Long winded. I wish we could just sit and talk. I hope this helps. I love your energy. and yes, at 45, maybe I’m a bit worn out. Us GenXers fought hard too, and we got the shaft too. I’m sorry. And yes, maybe it’s shitty I know how to work within the machine now. I try to only use my power for good now. I rarely do corporate work, and when I do, I’m pretty picky now.
cheers.