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April 22, 2010 by Gregg
Cleveland’s EarthFest 2010 at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo on Sunday brought out more than 12,000 people – despite the damp, chilly weather. It was a good day for sustainability communications and education.
And, yet, from an environmental impact, it was far from a tree-hugging utopia. Hundreds and hundreds of cars were in the parking lot (even though admission was free for taking public transportation), there were more than 175 exhibits, made from a variety of materials offering paper handouts, and the cleanup crews were seen regularly hauling large, fully loaded trash bags.
The purpose here isn’t to blast attendees and organizers. It would be hypocritical – I drove there, I handed out and picked up printed materials, and I contributed to the waste stream. It’s just a dose of reality for all of us, as we undertake sustainability initiatives and communicate them. The pursuit of an increasingly sustainable lifestyle is admirable, and individual and corporate commitments in this regard need to be incentivized and celebrated.
However – for most of us, at this time – expecting, demanding and pursuing perfection (zero waste or no environmental impact, for example) is probably not a good use of our limited time and resources.
On the other hand, it can be done, as proven by Colin Beavan, the author of No Impact Man. But, is that how you want to live?
April 12, 2010 by Gregg
One of the more interesting documents for sustainabilibity marketers is the annual Eco Pulse report, which is published by the Shelton Group, an advertising agency based in Knoxville, Tennessee that specializes in green and energy efficiency campaigns.
Just released, the Eco Pulse 2010 survey reports that 60 percent of American consumers say they’re seeking out green products and 66 percent say they haven’t curtailed their spending on such products despite the economic downturn. Only about 16 percent of consumers surveyed said they don’t have any interest in buying green products.
The survey also found that women are significantly more likely than men to seek out green products – although the percentage of men interested in green products increased between the 2009 and 2010 surveys, by 14 percent to 68 percent of men surveyed.
The increased interest in green products by most demographic groups comes despite the survey’s finding that the American public’s belief in global warming is declining.
The survey defines green products as being “more energy efficient, natural, sustainable, etc.” However, consumers in general continue to be confused by the terminology, and that leads to a lack of trust and green cynicism – and opportunities to improve communications.
For more information about the study results, a 500-page document that costs $5,000, visit the Shelton Group Web site. For various reasons, printing the document is not recommended.
March 29, 2010 by Gregg
If Northeast Ohio does not succeed in building a sustainable, thriving advanced energy cluster, it won’t be for lack of trying.
If the region does succeed, plenty of people, projects and partners (yes, another Three Ps) will deserve credit. An exhaustive list could go on for pages, but here are four Northeast Ohio groups to watch:
- Great Lakes Energy Institute at Case Western Reserve University, whose mission is to enable the transition to advanced sustainable energy generation, storage, distribution and utilization, through coordinated research, development and education
- Great Lakes Wind Network, which is an international supply chain advisory group and network of manufacturers whose mission is to increase the domestic content of North America’s wind turbines
- NASA Glenn Research Center, which is evaluating several demonstration projects, to test, evaluate and advance institution applications of wind turbines, fuel cells, and photovoltaics
- NorTech Energy Enterprise, which is leading a collaborative regional effort to drive commercial activity in advanced energy
Of course, other regions, states and countries have similar ideas – and every area has its advantages to promote and its disadvantages to overcome. The difference between being a big winner and a disappointed contender may be small. The big idea is in place; now, like everything else, it comes down to execution on a day-to-day, one-on-one basis.
March 23, 2010 by Gregg
They are not as well known as the S&P 500, or even the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.
But two indexes – the Stowe Global Coal index of 38 coal producers and the Bloomberg Global Leaders Solar index of 38 solar module and component makers – suggest that government support for alternative energy is declining, according to a March 17 report by Bloomberg News.
Bloomberg reported that the coal index has gained 6.5 percent in 2010, while the solar index has dropped 17 percent. Furthermore, the report noted, Peabody Energy Corp, the biggest coal producer, is rated a “buy” by 79 percent of investment analysts, while 44 percent recommend First Solar Inc., the largest maker of thin-film solar panels. This is the largest gap between the two companies in two years.
Bloomberg said solar companies’ profitability is falling because of competition from China and cuts to state support in Germany and Spain. As a result, the report said, many investors believe solar is too risky and coal is the safer investment.
Ironically, both forms of energy are poised for continued growth. As a result, coal prices are rising, but still remain as much as seven times less expensive per kilowatt-hour than solar power generation, according to sources in the Bloomberg story.
March 15, 2010 by Gregg
For implementation of a smarter electrical grid to be successful, four critical areas must be addressed, and, according to at least one major U.S. utility, the biggest challenge will involve communications (in the non-technical sense of the word).
The four areas are: updating and enhancing the transportation and distribution infrastructure, installing intelligent sensors for automation, implementing communications systems so data can be transferred and interpreted, and educating and communicating with customers.
Of the four areas listed above, all significant, long-term challenges in their own right, customer communications to secure customer approval, support and participation will be the most significant hurdle, says Dana Parshall, director of advanced grid and meter technology for Akron, Ohio-based FirstEnergy Service Company. Parshall was one of the speakers at an Advanced Energy Speaker Series presentation sponsored by NorTech Energy Enterprise on March 10. The presentations are available online.
Noting that the grid is “already pretty smart,” Parshall said real-time, two-way communication among the supply, transmission, substation, distribution and customer assets is the ultimate goal. This will require advanced grid functionality and customer empowerment. Customer usage information will help improve operational efficiencies, enable demand management and support energy conservation by customers.
While today’s customer interaction with an electric utility may be limited to the monthly bill, customers of the future may have daily, even hourly exchanges of information, electronically, Parshall noted. Instead of thousands of devices, millions and millions of sensors and other electronics will be deployed – all gathering data that must be stored, monitored and controlled. A high degree of cybersecurity will be critical for ensuring the integrity of the data and gaining customer acceptance.
FirstEnergy believes a national consumer education program may be needed to drive smart grid acceptance – similar to “buckle up” seatbelt campaigns.
For demonstration and pilot project purposes, FirstEnergy has been awarded federal Smart Grid Investment Grants to deploy 18 million smart meters across its infrastructure and approximately 1.2 million in-home displays.
March 09, 2010 by Gregg
I am pleased to report that introduction of the term greenblushing continues to generate national and international attention.
That tells me it’s a significant challenge and deserves mention in the same breath as greenwashing. Neither is sustainable.
It has also sparked a broader discussion about other kinds of challenges companies face when attempting to communicate about sustainability. For example, one blog reader, Chris Farage, VP of Communications & External Affairs for Parker Hannifin Corporation, a multinational manufacturer of motion and control technologies and systems, offers this term: “greenbashing.”
I like his definition: “the motivation of some activists in the green movement to attack companies for their environmental performance,” even if they are making progress and being transparent in their communication. These naysayers are the people who look at the Three Ps, and place the “P” for Planet ahead of the other two. In fact, some of them don’t even acknowledge the other two.
Chris is right on and rightly concerned about greenwashing, greenblushing and greenbashing. Here again, none of them are sustainable – and deserve to be called out, addressed and prevented, don’t you agree?
March 03, 2010 by Gregg
In my new Emerging Trends article about sustainability communications, I make the case that “well-run organizations should be able to walk and talk – and clear hurdles – at the same time.”
Do you agree that you can walk the walk and talk the talk of sustainability at the same time, and that they can feed off of each other successfully?
Or is greenblushing – which I define as walking the walk but being too unsure and shy to talk the talk – too much to overcome? Are fears about greenwashing getting in the way of good communications and audience engagement?
February 23, 2010 by Gregg
In an October 26, 2009 post, I introduced the concept of greenblushing. Since then, a number of people have confirmed for me that it’s real and growing.
And it can have serious repercussions – limiting companies’ ability to capitalize on investment intangibles, market and customer acceptance, and employee goodwill that are inherent in their sustainability efforts.
As a reminder, I’ve defined greenblushing as “limited or no information disseminated by an organization so as to understate or ignore its commitment to and actions on environmental responsibility.” It’s walking the walk but being too unsure and shy to talk the talk. It’s roughly the opposite of greenwashing.
Symptoms include downplaying or not communicating your sustainability achievements, and believing you need “all the answers” before you can talk about your progress and the ongoing journey. The fact is full-fledged participation in sustainability indexes and sustainability reporting is a high hurdle that is dominated by large, high-profile, public companies.
Proactive communications on such an important issue should not be a high hurdle. And I don’t think companies should be deterred by people who question their motives (e.g. profiting from their efforts). In fact, shouldn’t we be celebrating the cases that enrich all Three Ps?
Next week, to continue to try to get the word out, I’ll be at the Sustainability Symposium sponsored by Baldwin-Wallace College in suburban Cleveland. The March 1-2 event is free and open to the public and I hope to see you there. If not, I hope to see you here and @ThreePs on Twitter, helping to keep this conversation going.
February 16, 2010 by Gregg
An uneventful Copenhagen summit, the sluggish economy, and lingering questions about the propriety of data collection and analysis have turned concerns about global warming into more of a punch line than a national priority. For some people, the series of snowstorms to hit the Southeast is the clincher.
Opponents of stricter greenhouse gas emissions rules say the totality of negative forces proves that global warming, and the euphemistic climate change, is not worthy of serious national attention. Supporters of new regulations and international treaties say climate change is still serious business and must be addressed, and not derailed by weather patterns or scientific outliers.
As for me, I find the extremes on both sides of the debate amusing, somewhat misguided, and more than a little dangerous. The all or nothing approach is never sustainable, and that should be the test for any national agenda item, especially this one.
For the latest thinking on the topic, and probably some heated discussion, attend Baldwin-Wallace College’s Sustainability Symposium (free and open to the public) March 1-2 in suburban Cleveland. Featured speakers will include Sen. Sherrod Brown, NOAA senior scientist Dr. Susan Solomon, and Sherwin-Williams CEO Chris Conner. Dix & Eaton is a sponsor.
February 08, 2010 by Gregg
Super Bowl commercials have a reputation for being funny. Or thought-provoking. Or misguided.
So where does last night’s “Green Police” commercial from Audi fit in? How about outrageous and perhaps dangerous to the very mindset it is trying to benefit from?
In 60 seconds, with millions and millions of people watching, Audi made all environmentalists look like wackos. Ordinary citizens were arrested for crimes such as choosing plastic over paper in the supermarket, throwing batteries and food waste in the trash, and using incandescent light bulbs, plastic bottles and foam cups. For those worried about environmental extremism, this commercial reflects their worst fears.
By the end of the 60 seconds, only the driver of the Audi A3 TDI clean diesel car avoided the Green Police. It’s the “Green Car of the Year” awarded by Green Car Journal.
USA Today readers have rated the commercial the sixth-best out of 63 commercials – yes, it even finished ahead of the E-Trade babies.
Sure, it’s just a fleeting commercial, and perhaps people thought it was creative, entertaining and memorable. But I think a good part of its success comes from us perceiving, and being concerned about, environmental extremism – and this commercial gives the police an eco-Nazi persona. I’m not sure how stirring up that sentiment helps the Green Car of the Year. And at least one other blogger, the UK’s Faye Sunderland, agrees with me.
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