Comments on: No Altruism in Green PR http://www.livingstonbuzz.com/2007/10/30/no-altruism-in-green-pr/ Musings and analysis on marketing, buzz and communications. Thu, 18 Mar 2010 09:50:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Questioning WIRED’s “Carbon Blindness” » The Buzz Bin http://www.livingstonbuzz.com/2007/10/30/no-altruism-in-green-pr/comment-page-1/#comment-48149 Questioning WIRED’s “Carbon Blindness” » The Buzz Bin Mon, 26 May 2008 03:07:56 +0000 http://www.livingstonbuzz.com/blog/2007/10/30/no-altruism-in-green-pr/#comment-48149 [...] Buzz Bin Article: No Altruism in Green PR by Geoff Livingston | PR [...] [...] Buzz Bin Article: No Altruism in Green PR by Geoff Livingston | PR [...]

]]> By: Walk the Talk » The Buzz Bin http://www.livingstonbuzz.com/2007/10/30/no-altruism-in-green-pr/comment-page-1/#comment-20528 Walk the Talk » The Buzz Bin Mon, 26 Nov 2007 12:24:38 +0000 http://www.livingstonbuzz.com/blog/2007/10/30/no-altruism-in-green-pr/#comment-20528 [...] Washington Post, “Action, Not Just Words.” The Washington Post article was based on a Buzz Bin post critiquing the Board of Trade for spinning DC as a green city. There’s more at play here than [...] [...] Washington Post, “Action, Not Just Words.” The Washington Post article was based on a Buzz Bin post critiquing the Board of Trade for spinning DC as a green city. There’s more at play here than [...]

]]> By: Lynn Anne Miller http://www.livingstonbuzz.com/2007/10/30/no-altruism-in-green-pr/comment-page-1/#comment-14911 Lynn Anne Miller Mon, 12 Nov 2007 16:31:59 +0000 http://www.livingstonbuzz.com/blog/2007/10/30/no-altruism-in-green-pr/#comment-14911 Geoff, you've nailed it with this post. Actions speak louder than words. Hurrah for your actions with your own company, and hurrah for local companies that are actually making a difference with actions rather than blather... A good example locally is Microsoft. I was at a meeting at their Tysons office the other week, and while the meeting was totally unrelated to green issues, they did provide Greenware cups at the meeting. Greenware cups are made from corn. They are environmentally sustainable and 100% compostable. They don't leach toxins into the Earth like conventional plastics. More companies need to follow Microsoft's lead and take simple steps like using Greenware cups to help the environment, instead of simply driving into DC to attend conferences that appear to be all posturing with little substance. (BTW, did they even have the good sense to use Greenware at the conference?) Geoff, you’ve nailed it with this post. Actions speak louder than words. Hurrah for your actions with your own company, and hurrah for local companies that are actually making a difference with actions rather than blather… A good example locally is Microsoft. I was at a meeting at their Tysons office the other week, and while the meeting was totally unrelated to green issues, they did provide Greenware cups at the meeting. Greenware cups are made from corn. They are environmentally sustainable and 100% compostable. They don’t leach toxins into the Earth like conventional plastics. More companies need to follow Microsoft’s lead and take simple steps like using Greenware cups to help the environment, instead of simply driving into DC to attend conferences that appear to be all posturing with little substance. (BTW, did they even have the good sense to use Greenware at the conference?)

]]> By: Publicis Acquires | Hospital Heavy on Spin | Google Gets Social It Ain’t Easy Being Green | Slate Does Biz « PRNewser http://www.livingstonbuzz.com/2007/10/30/no-altruism-in-green-pr/comment-page-1/#comment-12281 Publicis Acquires | Hospital Heavy on Spin | Google Gets Social It Ain’t Easy Being Green | Slate Does Biz « PRNewser Wed, 31 Oct 2007 12:52:54 +0000 http://www.livingstonbuzz.com/blog/2007/10/30/no-altruism-in-green-pr/#comment-12281 [...] The Buzz Bin: No Altruism in Green PR [...] [...] The Buzz Bin: No Altruism in Green PR [...]

]]> By: Media Orchard, by the Idea Grove: Media News, Marketing Views, Celebrity Culture, Political Spin http://www.livingstonbuzz.com/2007/10/30/no-altruism-in-green-pr/comment-page-1/#comment-12273 Media Orchard, by the Idea Grove: Media News, Marketing Views, Celebrity Culture, Political Spin Wed, 31 Oct 2007 03:54:12 +0000 http://www.livingstonbuzz.com/blog/2007/10/30/no-altruism-in-green-pr/#comment-12273 <!--%kramer-ref-pre%-->[...] Girls Gone Wild (Allie Is Wired)Hitmoms are out to whack the Burger King dude (Make the Logo Bigger)There's no altruism in Green PR (The Buzz Bin)Check out Spin Thicket for more media, marketing and PR links.Subscribe to Media [...]<!--%kramer-ref-post%--> Kramer auto Pingback[...] Girls Gone Wild (Allie Is Wired)Hitmoms are out to whack the Burger King dude (Make the Logo Bigger)There’s no altruism in Green PR (The Buzz Bin)Check out Spin Thicket for more media, marketing and PR links.Subscribe to Media [...]

]]> By: Geoff Livingston http://www.livingstonbuzz.com/2007/10/30/no-altruism-in-green-pr/comment-page-1/#comment-12267 Geoff Livingston Wed, 31 Oct 2007 02:03:30 +0000 http://www.livingstonbuzz.com/blog/2007/10/30/no-altruism-in-green-pr/#comment-12267 Definitely a complicated and politically charged issue. I'll just say my thank yous to all four of you (Lewis, Jared, Rich and Kyle) for commenting. I appreciate your views. Definitely a complicated and politically charged issue. I’ll just say my thank yous to all four of you (Lewis, Jared, Rich and Kyle) for commenting. I appreciate your views.

]]> By: Kyle http://www.livingstonbuzz.com/2007/10/30/no-altruism-in-green-pr/comment-page-1/#comment-12260 Kyle Tue, 30 Oct 2007 22:45:13 +0000 http://www.livingstonbuzz.com/blog/2007/10/30/no-altruism-in-green-pr/#comment-12260 Geoff, well done acting locally and still thinking globally. Environmental altruism certainly starts at the individual level. Green PR is a very difficult balance I have personally experienced and written about a few times. The issue, IMHO, concerning legislation, is that folks on the Hill are sliding things into legislation that will actually erase much of the benefit to the environment. One example, the “safety valves” that place limits on the extent to which carbon prices on RECS or Carbon Credits can rise in a cap & trade system. This is clearly about the rights being afforded to the special interest groups who are giving the most...wait for it...MONEY to the Hill. Imagine if Congress placed market price limits on public stocks so they don't rise too much, let's say we put it on, hmmmm, I don't know, NYSE: XOM. However, on the regional level, one just needs to look at things like RGGI to know that sometimes good forward movement can be accomplished. OK, off that platform and back onto my regular PR platform. /kff /kff Geoff, well done acting locally and still thinking globally. Environmental altruism certainly starts at the individual level. Green PR is a very difficult balance I have personally experienced and written about a few times.

The issue, IMHO, concerning legislation, is that folks on the Hill are sliding things into legislation that will actually erase much of the benefit to the environment. One example, the “safety valves” that place limits on the extent to which carbon prices on RECS or Carbon Credits can rise in a cap & trade system. This is clearly about the rights being afforded to the special interest groups who are giving the most…wait for it…MONEY to the Hill. Imagine if Congress placed market price limits on public stocks so they don’t rise too much, let’s say we put it on, hmmmm, I don’t know, NYSE: XOM.

However, on the regional level, one just needs to look at things like RGGI to know that sometimes good forward movement can be accomplished.

OK, off that platform and back onto my regular PR platform.

/kff

/kff

]]> By: Richard Becker http://www.livingstonbuzz.com/2007/10/30/no-altruism-in-green-pr/comment-page-1/#comment-12254 Richard Becker Tue, 30 Oct 2007 20:14:16 +0000 http://www.livingstonbuzz.com/blog/2007/10/30/no-altruism-in-green-pr/#comment-12254 I working on something that is related to this today. The company retrofits old boilers for cost savings, more efficiency, and reduced emissions. It makes sense all around. So be careful with the legislation aspects. Often times, legislation mandates specific solutions over better solutions. Anyway, I think many companies can make the right decision, but education tends to work better, long term, than legislation and regulation. I like what you've proposed for you company though. It shows not all companies need legislation to act. :) Best, Rich I working on something that is related to this today. The company retrofits old boilers for cost savings, more efficiency, and reduced emissions. It makes sense all around.

So be careful with the legislation aspects. Often times, legislation mandates specific solutions over better solutions. Anyway, I think many companies can make the right decision, but education tends to work better, long term, than legislation and regulation.

I like what you’ve proposed for you company though. It shows not all companies need legislation to act. :)

Best,
Rich

]]> By: Jared Goralnick http://www.livingstonbuzz.com/2007/10/30/no-altruism-in-green-pr/comment-page-1/#comment-12252 Jared Goralnick Tue, 30 Oct 2007 19:50:41 +0000 http://www.livingstonbuzz.com/blog/2007/10/30/no-altruism-in-green-pr/#comment-12252 Excellent points. You would expect people to talk about this stuff behind closed doors, not as a focal point of an agenda that's aimed at making a difference--not just about a spin and PR. I'll be curious to hear the press releases after this conference. My issue with this approach, like yours, is that it's not just about doing the right thing for the right reasons vs the wrong ones (a problem in and of itself), it's about waking up to the fact that things aren't going in the right direction right now in the environment. Thanks for speaking out. And for your own company's measures. Excellent points. You would expect people to talk about this stuff behind closed doors, not as a focal point of an agenda that’s aimed at making a difference–not just about a spin and PR. I’ll be curious to hear the press releases after this conference.

My issue with this approach, like yours, is that it’s not just about doing the right thing for the right reasons vs the wrong ones (a problem in and of itself), it’s about waking up to the fact that things aren’t going in the right direction right now in the environment.

Thanks for speaking out. And for your own company’s measures.

]]> By: Lewis Green http://www.livingstonbuzz.com/2007/10/30/no-altruism-in-green-pr/comment-page-1/#comment-12251 Lewis Green Tue, 30 Oct 2007 19:31:19 +0000 http://www.livingstonbuzz.com/blog/2007/10/30/no-altruism-in-green-pr/#comment-12251 Geoff, I am not in total agreement regarding legislation and regulation; however, I applaud you for creating a green environment with you company. And I hope others follow your example, as I believe that authenticity comes from within and is more effective when it comes from the heart instead of when it comes via government interference. Way to go, Geoff. Geoff,

I am not in total agreement regarding legislation and regulation; however, I applaud you for creating a green environment with you company. And I hope others follow your example, as I believe that authenticity comes from within and is more effective when it comes from the heart instead of when it comes via government interference. Way to go, Geoff.

]]>