Earth Day is to the consumer electronics industry as Valentine’s Day is to the males.
Both are flagged on our desk calendars. We know we should “celebrate” them (if not for the sole purpose of painstakingly warding off the office tree-hugger or the clingy significant other), yet neither seem to inspire us enough to participate every day. These “made up” holidays are based upon the noblest of intentions to encourage awareness-the former founded by activists/politicians to appreciate our environment, the latter (as many of my exes have pointed out) “a Hallmark holiday” to appreciate our relationships. There’s a reason they are exes and, as a hopeless romantic, I am still challenging their assertion that they “celebrate Valentine’s Day EVERY day”, but the truth of the matter is that we all have the best of intentions, but all too often we fall short.
The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide; okay, I’ll bend to admit to my cynical formers that Hallmark more than marginally benefits from this statistic. You don’t need me to tell you that national studies indicate that more and more consumers purchase “green”-labeled products and services which, likewise, have benefitted the bottom lines of participating CE manufacturers.
So, as with the old Valentine’s “scam,” is the “green” movement out of control? Is it a marketing scheme gone awry that has now spawned a new breed of naysayers who are challenging the “levels” of green, demanding ENERGY STAR ratings, percentages saved, recycled packaging?
I am not an extremist. I have never been nor will I ever be, so tree huggers, please hold your fire. But when it comes to electronics, I wonder: Why the inconsistency in our messaging, and what can we do about it? How can we be energy hogs and environmentalists at the same time? Don’t we tell preschoolers that his or her tiny hand assisting in replanting trees contributes to the greater well-being of our treasured planet? That’s what I was told, and I whole-heartedly pass it on to the next generation because I believe it to be true.
Is it a contradiction to ship super-luxe, energy-sucking consumer electronics in recyclable boxes? I believe not. Is the claim that ISF day/night settings save energy invalid? No. Every little bit helps, and I would challenge that all professionals with the means to share their voice embrace the green trend while communicating the truth. We should be idealistic AND realistic. It’s not like the only options are “toss your garbage into the nearest river” and “go live in a cave and leave no carbon footprint.” There’s a huge middle ground here, and we all just need to be living in it.
With that in mind, I am pleased to announce that Caster has “gone green.” Yes, that’s right, we are now recycling. A little behind our Oregonian friends, but thanks to our trusty office manager’s diligence (mixed with a mild case of OCD) we have finally received our blue bins.
Now if I could only receive a nice greeting card instead of a “Happy Hallmark holiday” text on Valentine’s Day.
Posted by Katie
Posted by castercomm 
Stumble It!
