Big Business and Mother Earth: New Best Friends?

There is a new business trend on the horizon. This one however, is actually concerned about the horizon, so to speak. It's called “Green Marketing”, the basic idea behind it is to alter standard day business practice into something that is not only economically viable, but is actually helping to better the environment. The great thing about this is that it is happening independent of political pressure. There are large corporations, business tycoons, even small and medium business are getting into it. So to all the anti-capitalist-anti-business-haters out there, I say to you “In Your Face!!!”

Traditionally business has only had to worry about the environment, after governments stiffen up environmental laws. Well it seems now-a-days governments are either playing down the urgency of our environmental crisis, or cleverly tardying any process towards progress that could be made. That where it seems private enterprise has come to save the day! Since the ball dropped for 2007 many private enterprises have taken their own initiative towards progressive and innovative ways to fight a number of environmental challenges. Climate change and renewable resources taking the fore front of these initiatives.

Look at the auto industry, more and more products are being offered today with green technologies such as diesels, hybrids, fuel cells, as well as vehicles equipped with “flex fuel” technology. It seems as though the companies who are embracing these technologies are also profiting the most like Honda & Toyota, while others who are slow to embrace are losing their market share (i.e. Ford & GM). This movement is not only limited to automobiles, Diesel SpA's latest marketing campaign makes an effort to raise awareness on how global warming will affect the planet. Depicting world landmarks like New York City flooded by the ocean. They don’t stop there; Diesel’s new Italian headquarters was built in compliance with Kyoto standards. There are plenty of other progressive companies out there working towards change. For example Timberland Co., offers a $2000 subsidy on the purchase of hybrids cars for their employees. Not to mention that they have pledged to make their carbon output neutral by 2010. There are all sorts of companies jumping onto this bandwagon, but the great thing is that this idea is not new. Green marketing and socially conscious companies have been around for years.

The icing on the cake for me has to be the Virgin Earth Challenge. The challenge is to discover how to remove 1 billion tones of carbon gases a year from the atmosphere for 10 years. With a $25-million prize going to the lucky person or group to win the challenge. Now, who would create such a challenge? Try British airline tycoon Richard Branson. Who did he recruit for his panel of judges? Try former U.S. vice-president Al Gore, who is in the environmental spotlight right now because of his global warming documentary An Inconvenient Truth. With this kind of money up for grabs I look forward to seeing the battle between innovation and greenhouse gases. I just hope it doesn’t fizzle out like the X-prize Challenge did. What ever happened to public space travel anyways?

On that note, it is good to see big business doing its part for the environment, and as consumers we can help too by choosing to support the “green” brands, companies, etc. However businesses and corporations can only do so much without the help of governments and lawmakers. As consumers we must remember that we are also voters, and we do have the power to support environmentally conscious governments. Voting for one that supports the Kyoto protocol would be a step in the right direction.

Sources:

McCarthur, Keith "Buy the pants, save the planet?". The Globe and Mail, February 5, 2007. Retrieved February 21, 2007
"Branson offers $25M prize to fight climate change". CBC News, February 9, 2007. Retrieved February 21, 2007

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You’re currently reading “Big Business and Mother Earth: New Best Friends?.”

Published:: Feb 23 2007 / 7:04 AM

Author:: Ben Noto

Category:: Business

Tags:: al gore, business, diesel, environment, ford, global warming, gm, green, honda, marketing, richard branson, timberland, toyota, virgin

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stefans Feb 26 2007 / 2:27 AM

Big business will only save the day so long as there is a market for day-saving. If the global warming craze ever fades away, or if the now loud voices become quieter than big business will stop saving the day. Guaranteed.

Ben Noto Article Author Feb 26 2007 / 2:58 AM

Saving the day or saving the market itself? Maybe a little of both? There is no market without the planet. Seems a wise choice for any company seeking long term sustainability. Besides there are plenty of companies who have been using similar tactics for years.

Jason Feb 27 2007 / 2:07 AM

We who read this article will be long dead before, we will expierience most of the downfalls of global warming,or before we ever run out of non renewable resources, and if the world is exactly the same when my children are here, then why should I care if the world is destroyed or not. It isn't a pretty place, it is full of sensless violence and destruction like it has always been. The big business are just marketing a problem disguised as a strategy to help the environment for income gains. No more no less. If it wasn't profitable then why would they care? We all know they don't. Green is, and has always been the bottom line.Not environment green but cold hard cash green. In all honesty good for them, I wish I would have been smart enough to get in at a grass roots level and cash in myself. Regina is cold, global warming will help make it warmer, I don't see the problem. I don't care if it is bad somewhere else, If New york floods to fuckin bad ( the non tourist zones are dirty, rodent and disease filled) that just isn't my problem. I could give a rats ass really, and I bet there are a bunch of you reading this that if given some thought you really don't care either. I ask the author of this article do you drive one of these "green" vehicles to work each day? Are you just another person blabbing about something in the media that you really don't give 2 shits about? I feel that if you are going to try to make someone aware of a problem you should at least practice what you preach. I don't care, so I buy high horse power gas guzzlin cars and have fun and enjoy life. I only have one life to live and I intend on leaving and impression, if that means destroying earth for the future, well I guess that is my choice now isn't it?

Ben Noto Article Author Feb 28 2007 / 5:14 PM

Choice is what it really comes down to in the end. By all means have fun doing whatever you want to do, but don't harp on business because they are exercising their choices. That would be a little hypocritical, don't you think.

It's true; I don't own a fancy hybrid vehicle. Rather an economical little hatchback with a 4 cylinder engine. Now if one of the companies I work for embraced this "green" trend and offered a subsidy towards the purchase of a new hybrid vehicle. We would reading an article on how cool or wack it is to own a hybrid.

With that said I flex my recycle muscles on a regular basis (i.e. tin, glass, cardboard, paper products, motor oil, etc). As a bachelor I do my part to reduce water usage (i.e. eating over the sink to avoid dirtying dishes). I was raised with the whole "waste not, want not" mind frame. I do what I can, but I am no superman.

stefans Too Real Writer Mar 4 2007 / 11:28 PM

Its kind of like SaskEnergy trying to look good by asking us to use less energy. Then they turn around and jack up the prices because energy consumption is down, which cuts into their bottom line.
It seems all fine and good for companies to use this type of brand-marketing to make them seem green, until it lowers their profits, forcing the consumer to pay for this "green" image. Why should the consumers bear the entire cost of going green when it is these companies who for years, through advertising and other forms of subliminal messaging, have asked us to consume as much as possible to keep the economy strong? It is so entirely hypocritical. I would rather hear the companies say "Fuck the environment", it may not sound nice but at least it would be the truth.

stefans Too Real Writer Mar 4 2007 / 11:32 PM

You said:
"On that note, it is good to see big business doing its part for the environment, and as consumers we can help too by choosing to support the “green” brands, companies, etc. However businesses and corporations can only do so much without the help of governments and lawmakers. As consumers we must remember that we are also voters, and we do have the power to support environmentally conscious governments. Voting for one that supports the Kyoto protocol would be a step in the right direction."

Although I applaud your support for Kyoto, I laugh at the comment that business needs the gov't and lawmakers. The gov't and lawmakers did support Kyoto and ratified it. It was business that got into an uproar over the costs of such an implementation. As far as I am concerned when it comes to business going green: too fucking little and way to fucking late.

Ben Noto Article Author Mar 5 2007 / 5:08 PM

When it comes to talking about bottom lines; No matter what angle you look at it, it's the consumer who is supporting the bottom line of any business. No customers, no business.

In regards to the whole Kyoto thing, business has a knack for adapting to new or changing markets. What I think lacks is a government to not only ratify it, but one who will have a backbone about it too. If there is a uproar, too bad. Adapt, that's business.

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Big Business and Mother Earth: New Best Friends?

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