Today, Alex Williams in his NY Times article "Buying into the Green Movement" makes some really good points. Namely, we are not going to consume our way out of global warming. (RED) will not save the world. In fact, it could be argued that GAP is doing more harm than good. Making "Green the new Black" creates an aesthetic that can go away in the blink of a fashion show. Not consuming isn't the choice either. Smart consuming is.
But consider old Hegal again. Maybe the pendulum needs to swing to absurdity before it can fall back to synthesis, that place where elements of pro-sumerism are ingrained in the culture not the fad dujour.
We wonder what the difference in spending on social issues is like from corporatation from same 1980 to 2007? I bet it's a huge leap. That's good. All those dollars are having some educational and thought-provoking impact, we assume.
If we are waiting for that pendulum to apex to the side of absurdity before drifting back to common sense, we may have a very short wait.
It is getting crazy. When is the sports illus. green swim suit issue coming out? The buzz does keep momentum going, but it's like a skipping stone - all surface. Does the language support this? This blog is about language right?
Posted by: jambandfan | July 04, 2007 at 02:30 PM
hello--
hegellian constructs and the synthesis or coalescence towards the mean is always inevitable when we take the long view. this is one movement of history, the other are qualitative shifts, much more if it sticks.
i'm wondering if green is just the surface and sustainability is the long term. meaning that we are moving past our darwinian habits, and going up maslow's heiarchy of needs collectively. meaning that business will finally start to act post industrial age darwinism, and embrace a great collective spirit, less about survival and more social. the green movement is a sign of that, rather the green movement engendred this feeling.
would love to hear your opinion.
thank you
Posted by: Mark | March 03, 2008 at 05:54 PM
Great post, and considering the date, way ahead of the curve, methinks.
How ironic. I just wrote a post on this topic: http://responsiblemarketing.com/blog/?p=351
Keep up the great work!
Patrick Byers
Posted by: Patrick Byers | May 23, 2008 at 04:26 AM