haagen dazs is covered in bees!
Feb. 21st, 2008 09:10 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
merchimerchI 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 :)
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 :)
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no subject
Date: 2008-02-22 03:57 am (UTC)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.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-22 04:19 am (UTC)Individual change is the harbinger of cultural change and at some point polluting will be like smoking.
One hopes anyway