Judith Warner had a great piece in the New York Times a few days ago, in which she managed to weave together an argument that featured both Michael Moore and the practice of female genital cutting. Worth reading, because she also put quite eloquently an idea that forms the basis of Underground’s own approach to communication:
…she had learned, through years of trial and error, that to reach people you had to meet them where they were. Respect them. Acknowledge their social norms, beliefs and practices. Find common ground. Build on shared human aspirations — for safety, for dignity, for a better life for one’s children — then discover how those shared aspirations might reasonably translate into ending practices that cause suffering.
If you come in and say, ‘You are awful people,’ people tune out and say, ‘Who do you think you are?’ …Making people feel bad about what they’re doing doesn’t work; they only get defensive. What does work is getting people to discuss together what are their rights and what they mean. It’s not just a question of blaming and shaming people but educating and empowering them.
Above, an ad from our new campaign for the American Wind Energy Association, highlighting the contribution wind power can make to a new economy. The people featured in the ad, and in the longer videos after the jump, work for companies like Cardinal Fastener, who makes the bolts for the turbines, and Gamesa, a re-tasked steel plant, now building the turbines themselves. They have the kind of quality manufacturing jobs that help blue collar workers get into, and stay in, the middle class. Sure, wind power means using less coal and it means a fighting chance for all of us against climate change, but it also means good jobs for real people.
Right now, Congress is debating the American Climate and Energy Security (ACES) Act. The bill is a big step towards a new direction on climate change and energy policy in this country, but that doesn’t mean that it’s perfect. In particular, while a Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) is part of it, there’s a chance it will get watered down in the horse-trading that accompanies big pieces of legislation. And that would be a disaster– the Union of Concerned Scientists estimates that a 25% by 2025 RES would create 297,000 jobs, and anything less than 12% by 2012 would actually mean losing jobs. We just can’t afford that right now.
Renewable energy is a huge growth industry around the world, with 37 countries, including China already having firm RES in place. Standing up for the climate, and the American worker, means doing the same here at home. You can learn more about RES at PowerofWind.com. After the jump, a couple longer videos we did highlighting the stories of some of the workers from the ad.
I’ve come across some amazing design innovations this week that I thought would be fun to share. It’s wonderful to see that product and package design are moving towards sustainability - and great to see that it’s being recognized!
Paper Water Bottle
The 360 Paper Bottle is a container that is versatile in its range of consumer applications. It is made from food-safe and fully recyclable materials. It strategically decreases energy consumed throughout the product life cycle without sacrificing functionality, and enhances everyday consumer usage by offering an environmentally friendly experience.
By Brand Image
Straw Straw, by Yuki lida (Japan)
The original meaning of the term “straw” was “wheat straw”. Wall art depicting people using straws of wheat to drink from have been discovered from ancient Mesopotamian ruins. Straws of wheat are forms created by nature; they are materials that return to the soil. There’s no waste in either the shape itself, or in its actual existence.
By Yuki lida
No, not the caloric guilt. The ‘how much damage am I doing by eating this?’ kind. Let’s face it - what’s for dinner is truly the eternal question. And layering in the added consideration of ocean conservation and sustainability to the equation - it’s sure to be a blue box mac n’cheese kind of night.
While it’s not going to help solve all of your agricultural woes, this incredibly handy “Guide to Ocean Friendly Seafood” from Blue Ocean Institute will surely help guide you through your oceanic menu planning. They even have Fish Phone - a text-back feature for those frenzied restaurant moments when you’re just craving those Olympia Oysters and need to know if they’re cool. Yea, they’re cool.
