Environmental activism is upon us, and it’s politically correct to be green. Just about every politician has a green speech, almost every utility company promotes their resource conservation, and many outspoken students have jumped on the bandwagon to green up the world.
Last summer I went to the D2E (Down to Earth) expo in Boston. I hadn’t been much a green-goer, but I was looking for ways to promote a series of webisodes at www.whatiswaste.com. The thinking was that the more people who viewed these video vignettes, the stronger the case for future funding.
I must admit, I was surprised that this green event was extremely mainstream. Aside from some rainforest cures, it really was “down to earth.” There were a lot of construction companies, architects, and community organizations wanting to make a statement – and drum up business. That meant, someone had to write the words for their brochures, signage, and websites.
If I hear the term “carbon footprint” one more time, I will scream — but fact is, the green movement has spawned a hatch of new lingo and writers need to brush up. We now talk about “emission control,” “environmental impact,” and “global warming.” We differentiate between “sustainable” and “renewable.” We allude to “hydro power,” “wind farms,” and “solar energy.” We drop phrases like “post-consumer material,” “biofuels” and “environmental mitigation.” Actually, I’ve found the Environmental Paper Network to be an excellent source for terminology.
But the conscientious writer must guard against turning every assignment into a soapbox. Fact is, some clients simply are not green. Smoke stacks still belch out pollutants, synthetics can out-gas toxins, and even the most bucolic landscape can conceal a hazardous coal ash dump. So when asked to tout the environmental responsibility of a paying client, do some homework first. It’s easy to gush and maybe even spin the information to be greener than it really is. There’s actually a word for this: greenwashing.
According to Wikipedia, “greenwashing“ was coined by New York environmentalist Jay Westerveld in a 1986 essay regarding the hotel industry’s practice of placing placards in each room. These cards advocated reuse of towels in order to help save the environment. The motivation was transparent: reduce laundry costs, and the attempt backfired.
So what’s a writer to do? If the project is green and good, go for it! Talk whales and polar bears and future generations. But if the project is suspect, a responsible writer might have to say “no.” Ethics aside, the truth will “out” on today’s social landscape where bloggers and consumer communities will be all over it as soon as you hit “Send.”
But this quandary is a great reminder: words have power and power has implications. Wield your words wisely.
Tags: Environmentalism, greenwashing, mainstream
Categories: Environmentalism, Public Relations