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Voices Decry National Day of Corporate Greenwash

#1

Voices Decry National Day of Corporate Greenwash

Lauren McCauley, staff writer

What was conceived as a national environmental teach-in and day of radical action against corporate polluters, Earth Day has seemingly grown into little more than a gimmick.

On April 22, 1970, the inaugural Earth Day was celebrated by more than 20 million Americans who marked the day with widespread discussions, environmental clean-ups, and demonstrations demanding that the political establishment wake up to looming environmental destruction.

#2

Green washing , indeed!!

#4

Green Party presidential hopeful Jill Stein's Earth Day message shows how we can make the environmental movement relevant again:

We can solve the climate crisis by transitioning to 100% clean renewable energy by 2030. We have the resources, the science and the technology. This transition would create millions of sustainable living-wage jobs - a true win-win proposition.

Join the call for 100% clean renewable energy! http://www.jill2016.com/earth_day

#5

Justice is irrelevant without a livable planet

And a livable planet is impossible without justice

#6

Malthus never could have envisioned the destruction of the atmosphere as one of the limits of human expansion.

#7

Earth Day has long ago become a parody of itself, taken over by the very corporations that caused it to be invented in the first place. I say to Hell with Earth Day, we need a reinvention of the whole process of how we live 'cause Earth Day don't mean a damn thing anymore.

#8

Well, I am for renewable energy, but, if within say, I don't know, 4 years or so?... we still ...are not... reducing Co2 by 5% or more, a year... then, I say, scrap the renewable energy... and... start living without electric... i mean. the only way to tell if we are making progress in saving this planet from climate change (or from humans)... is to look at the measurable results... One responder on here the other day, answered me with, it's been done before, reducing emissions 5%.... (world wide? and I'd like to see the data)... he said it happened during the great recession... well, that is my point... that, it may be that the only way to bring emissions down, is through shutting down of industrial society....HOWEVER... since, the great recession was completely an unequal consequence for different classes... then, well, my "thing" is that we could be proactive and start setting up real support systems for those who are not setup to be self sustaining... I mean, we do not want millions of people losing their homes to the mortgage mofia again...
so, there should be a way for this to even out between the classes.... Because, other wise... we will have a problem, next time.... I do not think those of us at the bottom will go quietly into the the night....
However.... of course, nothing will be done in this direction... and the break down of modern society will happen... .and all hell will break loose...

#9

Only when the Last Tree is cut down,
Only after the Last River has been poisoned,
Only after the Last Fish has been caught,
Only then you will realize that money can't be eaten.
___Cree Indian Prophesy

In the vernacular, "Bye, 'bye, Miss American Pie.

#12

For what its' worth check out the names of some of the corporations: Marriot, Uber, Disney...Consider the source. Like what happened to the entire "counterculture" of the late 1960's. Overnight it was packaged into the exact opposite of what it was. American corportism sucks up everything like a vacuum. And who really is surprised that Earth Day becomes ths?
It's a way for people to feel O.K. while they get in their oversize car to go down and see the fesivities. How many people did or were even able to make major changes in their lifestyles as a result of the heady early years of the envionmental movement?
My observation is most Americans chose the oher way, more consumption, veicles, etc. Some of us did take it seriously but the federal government got zapped by the Regan administration (Carter's solar program). I know, we've regained traction there.
Americans will get hip to the problem only when they are forced, we are really immature about the whole topic.

#14

The movements of the 60's kicked off because people didn't search for "leaders," but took action themselves. It died when the MSM convinced a majority that they had leaders, that were then either killed or corrupted.

#15

One problem I see continuing is the want/desire for all kinds of fuel burning crap toys is not going to abate. I'm around men all the time who's idea of fun is ORV and similar stuff. There is a stereotype and it's true-white blue collar man who wants to do this stuff. I'm a white guy also, currently on disability, who has spent a lot of time around the Joe 6 pack crowd. (I used to be a nurseryman).
Its kind of like "what else are they going to do for fun?" This is the distance between the smaller group that takes Mother Jones to heart and most guys who want the toys (and now days vote GOP). Women as a group don't do this, so it's gender selected. Some of these men would fill up their jet ski before feeding their family. It was nice when we didn't have all this junk, Europe I guess not so into it. I live in the West and it's still God to many people to go out on the desert and drive. (Might lose that beer gut if they hiked).

#17

Not to take away from your main point, which is spot on... but why is Energy Star one of your example tweets from corporations?

Energy Star is not a corporation; it's a federal government program run by the Environmental Protection Agency - a technical scale measuring the relative energy efficiency of appliances like refrigerators and washing machines.

#18

It would be nice, but the U.S. is so materialistic at this point in time I'm afraid a lot of people are actually kind of deranged, the anchors of community and family are not as important as smart phones and vehicles. The 1930s Waltons TV show wasn't that far from the reality of the times, after the 1920's blowout people realized they still had each other. Now people's personalities are invested in their possessions so much it shows a vacancy where there once were real people interacting with other people. It is such an uphill climb, I do not think it is possible.

#20

Very true that people look to essentially corporations (msn here) for leadership, in the 60s people had leaders, real people, but the expectation was that you were to step up to the plate yourself. Not the magic hand of the marketplace, not government (although the Right says that one all the time) not your football coach, but YOU. So we got "all these movements" One reason why I can't talk much to a lot of younger gay men, they are coming out but don't see themselves as a part of any "counterculture." When I was 18 it was sort of a whole package, rejection of the B.S. whether it's in your bedroom or stuff you buy at the store. People now days are being led on a leash, and tech is a big part of it.