Comments on Note to CMO:: Note to CMO: Authority, Consensus, and Green Envy

I was watching the special features for Pirates of...

2008-01-21T07:35:00.000-08:00

I was watching the special features for Pirates of the Caribbean III, and one person mentioned that the production of a certain scene required enough electricity to power a city (for how long, I can't remember, and I don't know if he was being literal).

I thought that odd since Hollywood always seems to be preaching to us about how irresponsible we are. No amount of carbon, it seems, is too much in the name of entertainment and their fat paychecks. However, if you want to drive an SUV, you're just this side of evil.

A lot of the talk about the environment falls along these lines, and the actual consequences of our actions across the board take a backseat to high-society rhetoric and high-handed regulations.

Lewis: thanks for your note. Here's the thing (and...

2008-01-20T12:35:00.000-08:00

Lewis: thanks for your note. Here's the thing (and the central point of my post): we can and should take steps towards economically responsible environmental stewardship, but we can't paint ourselves "green" unless we're prepared to walk the walk.

It doesn't make sense for a lifelong smoker who is visibly out of shape to join a gym and declare himself a fitness expert. We applaud his first steps toward salvation, but credibility only buys you so much credit.

In these cases, companies that have no green credentials to speak of -- and whose "green-ness" are of a very minor degree -- are covering themselves in the cloak of environmental responsibility. My observation is that this is jumping on a popular bandwagon and may not reflect the reality of the situation.

There are plenty of companies that have postioned themselves with great authenticity to look to for inspiration (like SABMiller). But jumping on green isn't something that can be casually and opportunistically borrowed for short term PR gains.

Stephen,I am admittedly getting lost somewhat with...

2008-01-20T11:32:00.000-08:00

Stephen,

I am admittedly getting lost somewhat within your argument but if I read you correctly, I think you are saying that if a business contributes to environmental decay in any form, manner or level, they can't be green. Unfortunately, green is defined within your piece, and that is where I get lost.

However, I applaud and encourage any business to take steps to reduce their footprint on the planet. None of us, individuals or businesses, can claim we are green if perfection determines what green is. Let's not discourage any business from having an environmental policy or any effort to reduce their footprint.

Motives are not the key to success; results are what matter. If we turn environment efforts into a case of morals, we will end up like most religions--thousands of years of disagreement, bigotry, biases and anger toward one another, even when something good is achieved. So I say, if the means to an end result in a healthier environment, the effort is justifiable and should be applauded and more businesses should be encouraged to do good, not criticized because they are imperfect.