haagen dazs is covered in bees!

[merchimerch]

I find this article interesting:
http://money.cnn.com/2008/02/17/news/companies/bees_icecream/index.htm

It is good to see large companies publicizing the bee colony collapse and funding research toward a solution. I really do think this is a positive thing.

However, my skeptical side thinks that perhaps Haagen Dazs realized that Ben and Jerry's is quite successful because it has the Whole Foods style of appeal to customers. I call it "whole foods appeal" because Whole Foods and Ben and Jerry's sell a high-priced luxurious product(s) with the extra bonus of allowing its customers to feel good about purchasing it because a portion of the proceeds goes to an environmental cause.

Part of the eco-chic movement seems to be consuming for a cure. I have a problem with the idea that people can really have an environmental impact by buying the "right" products and brands. Don't get me wrong - buying green is better than buying not-green, but I still think that buying less and buying local is the more productive path to healing our over burdened earth.

Regardless, now Haagen Dazs can have a portion of the eco-chic market share. People who like to buy their ice cream in tiny tubs rather than big bricks can now have a choice as to which brand of delicious, environmentally mindful, smug satisfaction they would like to consume :)

Comments

[densaer.livejournal.com]

I didn't feel that you were being critical, btw ...

My talk at Solaris 2007 was called "Green Footprints." My point in that talk was that it's going to be impossible to not leave a trace, but we can certainly lighten the load. And that we cannot let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

Once a person breaks out of apathy and becomes aware of and accepts the reality of the looming environmental crisis, it becomes too easy to trap yourself in despair. The problems appear huge and overbearing, and "what can one person do?" is a commonly heard from refrain.

We didn't get here overnight, and the problems we are trying to solve will not be solved overnight. I hope that our actions now build cultural momentum that ripples through society, and makes it feasible for the necessary changes that are yet to come.

[merchimerch.livejournal.com]

I agree that something is better than nothing.

My grandma had this saying about individual action rippling out like when you throw a stone in the pond. That tends to be my approach to altruism--it's still good if it's small and close to home.

However, at some point, cultural change needs to happen. I believe it is possible, even in this generation, but it needs to be done at a personal level.

And you gave a talk at Solaris? How neat - I was just hearing about that from someone.

[densaer.livejournal.com]

Yeah I've been going to solaris for a few years now.

Individual change is the harbinger of cultural change and at some point polluting will be like smoking.

One hopes anyway