Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Something To Get Mad About

Barbara: I’m not super-political and I’m not an educated advocate, but I do want the world to be a better place. I don’t particularly like to get mad at stuff, I prefer a more moderate approach: accept things you can’t change and work diligently to change the things you can. But there are always going to be those irritating things that come along and slap you in the face.

Environmental issues generally drive me crazy. I mean the stomach-churning, ire-raising, head pounding impotently against the wall kind of crazy. Why? Because it seems like such a simple and obvious corollary: if the world is dirty, we must clean it whatever the cost.

I’m going to digress for just a moment here (it’s my blog and I can tangent if I want to). Deb did a PSA (public service announcement) recently for Greenpeace that is posted on the internet. It is absurdly funny. Tear-wiping hilarious. And absolutely bang-on message-wise: Corporate Obtuseness and Political Support romance each other to become the “perfect” power couple. It’s so funny that I asked Deb if we could post it here. It’s so persuasive that it reminded me of my own recurring outrage at environmental destruction and my desire to get this off my chest:

I understand that corporate polluters will have to undergo expensive and time-consuming overhauls to clean up their act; I accept that this is a big thing to ask industry to do; I know that jobs could be on the line and I realize that my job isn’t one of them. But if I got cancer and the only way for me to survive would be to change my diet from a processed but relatively cheap diet to a healthier but substantially more expensive (and more time-consuming) one, I would do it. I would also encourage any friend or family member to do the same. It would be obvious: eat poorly, get really sick and die a slow, painful death; eat well while investing time and money into my health and … wait for it … enjoy a long, healthy, and abundant life.

I just don’t see the political and corporate sense in looking at the short term (ie, immediate financial gain, no required change, impressive quarterly returns—and who the hell made “quarterly returns” the be all and end all???) when the long-term reality is so bleak (hey, there won’t be no quarterly returns if there ain’t no world).

So—besides getting frothing mad—what do I do? The basics: we sort our garbage 3-ways (recycle, organic, and garbage), carry reusable bags, choose food with its ecological footprint in mind, invest in industry with a conscience, make points from time to time in public forums. Laugh and laugh at Deb’s satire. And then share it with you!

13 comments:

  1. I actually seen this video. It is a good and very funny video. I seen it on facebook,someone had posted it there. I have to say that I am with you on this one Barb. I very much care about this world and what it looks like so I also make sure I do my part NOT to dirty it up. There is things that I do that help it like,not driving around a big gas sucking vechical so that the gas dosne't pollute the world,or recycling,thats always been a big thing for my family. Another thing,when I clean my house I use the sprays and cleaners that don't have the harmful things in it that regular cleaners do.

    I figured that I live in this world so I need to do my part in making it a clean, safe place to live. If we all just did something right than I am sure we could make it a nice clean place.

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  2. Yes, Lyndsie, I'm also with the chemical-free cleaning products. Absolutely.

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  3. I recycle, drive a prius and use all organic and safe cleaning supplies, all natural facial products, beauty products and hair products. I also support big time the environmental working group. www.ewg.org and their free skin deep data base which analyzes lots of beauty products. I walk whenever I can to do small errands. I carry environsax around in a pouch so I never use any bags but my own. I have been concerned with the environment and in the late 60's early 70's attended the first Earth Day in San Francisco and signed the pledge to only reproduce two child per couple rule. So glad you brought this up again. And the commercial is great. However, I hope they spend as much money as it costs to make it and much more on the real issues.

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  4. A correction to the previous post. Just watched again and I just saw it was Greenpeace so all I said about spending money erase. They do it big time. This was so funny and I loved the part of polluter harmony. I am sure eharmony was/is not happy but I so loved this PSA.

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  5. hee! perfect
    this is going up on my blog right now
    hope that's all right

    x's and o's

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  6. Hi Madge thought I'd weigh in here even though Barb led today's blog. First off let me say that I am impressed with your enviro-action. You are on it girl and, like my parents, you did it way before it was trendy to do so. Thanks for the compliments on the commercial. When Greenpeace contacted me with the idea, I jumped at the chance to perform in it and make a funny statement about a very real and scary issue. I find sometimes that humour can go farther in getting the message across than hitting us over the head don't you?

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  7. fantastic...will get busy sending this out into the universe. I honestly think this does more to reach people and get them to pay attention...than serious ads. way to go my dear

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  8. Deb, I totally agree and this is soooooooooooo clever. Loved it. You were great.

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  9. Kate, it's so alright if you post it! And Matters, I agree -- I think this is the best possible way to send messages: through positivity. (Madge, thanks from Deb -- she is tickled you guys are loving it :) )

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  10. life in the virtual world: so the fb post that didn't appear to post to my wall, is now there, and the comment to this i posted hours ago, is not here.

    as for whether I really exist, still remains to be seen.

    In the meantime, that shredded paper kiss, omg, peeing in my pants on the floor. :)

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  11. I've often wondered if you really exist, Gae, or if you're just a figment of my needy imagination :)

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  12. I think in the US, I have to worry about A LOT of political issues, because I think we have it wrong in so many domains, but this is the biggest for me, too, and I LOVED this! We do what we can, though live so close to financial disaster that buying organic or driving a hybrid are beyond our means. Still... our Oregon years gave us a greater knowledge base than the rest of Michigan combined, so we really do try.

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