No Greenwash Christmas!

I'm fearing another Greenwash Christmas ( ... to the tune of “I'm dreaming of a white christmas" ).

Is there anything worse than a greenwash? Marketing firms schlepping the same old junk with a green facade. With “mega consumption day” , December 25th , on its way, many are out "to make a difference" by purchasing “green products”. People are somehow trapped into the social phenomenon that “what I buy for others” reflects on my person and charity. Even the notion that gift giving is an accepted means to express ones emotion, further demonstrates gift giving as a culture of consumption. As such, people are out there gobbling up “green products” in an effort to demonstrate how much they care about a person and the environment. Two emotions with one stone? No, give the gift of a healthy planet!

The fact is that very few products are green. Being a product designer, I can tell you that majority of these products are far from green. Using a few green materials on a device that will end up in a landfill, in short order, is not that of green. No improvements in lifecycle. No tangible benefit on the environment.

I saw one product, some tiny headphones, that uses wood ( that is “happy-farmed” ) to make it “green”. The same old headphones, but a tiny chunk of “green” wood. Seems, in my experience, that headphones break easily because of the tiny fragile wires that connect the “ear buds” to the playback device. In my youth, I can remember repairing these tiny headphones numerous times to fix them, but more importantly because they were expensive and I was “cheap” ( still am ). Yet, consumers seem to think that green products help the environment. The greenest thing is not to consume. Why not give “no gift” for the environment ( wow, people will think you are cheap ). My family has evolved ( but not completely ) to give more gifts that make great memories ( making a nice dinner, a few days visit to a cool place, a train ticket for a visit ). Still, I do get a plastic toy, from China, from my mom ( yes, I am over 40 ). I tell people: no gifts thanks, give me something more! Slowly, people are “getting it” after many years of me telling them “do not buy landfill-junk for an environmentalist Bright for christmas”. Okay, books are good, yummy food treats: yes. I think you get my point.

This christmas, break free from the lemming mentality and be original. Give a gift of experience. From my experience, people enjoy them more and they are friendlier on the planet.

Enjoy!



All information and concepts on my blog is property of me, Graham Chivers.

Retweeting is highly recommended!

This information may not be used, in any publications, without direct prior consent from Graham Chivers @ http://deepgreendesign.blogspot.com/. My Blog is not to be within or, on any entities that have advertising. Sounds weird? Well, that is my choice. Freedom of speech and freedom of access, without any capitalism, by companies, that I do not find green enough. I assert that my Blogs will deliver my blog with NO ADVERTISING! As such, If you wish to rebroadcast my content, ask for permission. If your publication has absolutely no advertising, anywhere, I will be happy let you use my content, on the condition that I verify the publication for content, first. I dreaded the day that my blog would be beside advertising for laptops or other non-green thingies, but, it did. Support Ad-Free knowledge! If you see this blog beside advertising, please, let them know to respect my authority as a citizen. Thank you! I assert the right to assert my opinion on each blog, I blog. I assert that I am not a “domestic terrorist”. I assert that I am an individual, not a marketing scam. I collect no data from my Blog. All the products use to manufacture this product are “free” on the Internet. I use no marketing software for data collection. I feel that anyone should be able to read my blog with only knowledge being the product for free.

If you do not agree with any above content, prove it first. If you can teach me something, I will thank you in a manner warranted. If you are intending to “limit my internet access” or Freedom of Speech or my Human Rights: please go away!