Post
Anyone for a revolution?
With an apple I will astonish Paris - Cezanne
I wonder when did the information age become the misinformation age? Or, in our context, the age of greenwashing.
Coca-Cola says they want to become water-neutral and then commit every known water crime known, unknown and even unbelievable.
I cite the water example because human activities have caused North India’s water tables to shrink at an abysmal low (a NASA study). Coca-Cola has been one of the major culprits in using up the groundwater in India. And now, in trying to greenwash, it says the water tables are rising (because of its water harvesting efforts) in Kala Dera in North India, where it has a bottling plant. Perhaps Coca-Cola needs to send some of their ‘scientists’ to NASA to refute the data.
Also, their claims are baseless, as they admit they have no way to measure what they are claiming.
But let’s take the buzzword that will do the rounds of Copenhagen this year. Clean-coal. It’s a scientific fact that there is nothing clean about coal. It is just an advertising con job that took more than $40 million in the making.
Here’s why ‘clean coal’ isn’t. And yet it will be traded to the Southern countries in the name of clean technologies in Copenhagen this December.
Sunita Narain, Center for Science and Environment writes: The big coal, oil and power businesses are laughing — all the way to the bank and back. Their governments have become technology-pimps. We are all being sold an ultimate dream — sin and bury it. Let’s see how gullible all of us can be. (Click here for the editorial.)
So, if indeed it is the information age, I come back to my question: how is it also a time when huge lies like clean coal are being propagated with so much ease?
And how will we ever usurp the era of consumerism, greed and a fossil-fuel based society and let in an era of sustainable development? For isn’t that what we need to fight climate change?
Here’s a recipe for a revolution.
Remember the six honest serving men of Rudyard Kipling?
I keep six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.
Well, time to bring them back. And once you have the six men, the seventh isn’t very difficult to find. It’s called – google. While the lies are sugar coated, the truth, too is out there.
Just google ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’ and weigh it against everything that plastic lobby has told you about how polythene is not harmful. The Indian environment minister will also benefit from google, I think. He recently remarked that banning polythene bags is not an eco-friendly solution. Armed with the answers I got by asking the six questions, I wrote an open letter to him.
(Click here to see a larger, readable version)
Indeed, it is to the power of asking questions, that I refer to as the recipe for a revolution. Because when we don’t ask questions, we get served lies, get greenwashed and fooled by big companies.
Why this is also important is because people do not believe that climate change affects them. A new study shows that the main reason keeping people from "punishing" "bad companies" is lack of knowledge.
So if you and me and people like us start asking the right questions and inspire other people to do so, we would have helped everyone to have a fair chance of making informed choices.
People can drive companies to change their ways just by choosing not to buy their products, if they feel the products are causing an unsustainable damage to the environment. People can get governments to change their ways. Didn’t Gordon Brown agree to come to Copenhagen after the Global Wake-up call?
People, armed with the right questions will eventually get the right information. And they will then not make choices that put our planet in peril. I still believe in humanity enough to hold my head high and say that.
And that is the revolution we need. A revolution brought about not by arms and violence, but the power of the very humble ‘questions’.
Give me a fair chance to make a choice. And then, to rework Cezanne’s quote, I will astonish the world by choosing a non genetically modified apple.
Comments
so who is going to question? it seems we have outsourced that too. to ngos, npos and the ‘somebody will’ who we think will.
Information vs disinformation. Unfortunately, throughout history, the ones spreading latter have had money, force and often both on their side.
Luckily, unlike history, the former has the internet.
Fingers crossed.
who will be asking the questions??....& about your letter on Plastic use..u’r right that yes it’s adversely affecting our enviorment..but the reason is that we are not managing the disposal in the right manner…use of plastic bags id any day more economical than using paper!!..the only thing is that our government & scientific agencies need to monitor the disposal & recycling of plastic in the correct way!!
So the right question to ask here would be:
How to correctly recycle & dispose plastic? 7
@Meeta, if you read the letter, there are facts there which will send shivers down your spine.
Polythene bags are harmful. Period. Forget disposal. But, read the letter, read about nurdles, read about the Pacific Garbage Patch, and let’s debate.
@meeta, also when you say use of plastic bags is more conomical than paper, how did you calculate that?
Do you know about the health costs of plastic? Do you think animals and birds with plastic deposits in their guts aren’t cost enough because you are not paying for that?
What about the plastic that goes in your system?
There are hidden costs which are much more dangerous.
It’s easy to say economical. Let’s back it with data please?
Hemant, my favourite greenwashing is our bros over at shell. pretty flowers coming out of refinery smoke stacks
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/ethicalliving/category/greenwash/
@David And here is an amazing google earth campaign to tackle (S)Hell. By Amnesty: http://blog.protectthehuman.com/category/shell/
Great post again.
Those fighting to get the truth out, sometimes risking their jobs, freedom or even life to do so, deserve all our support and appreciation.
If the first victim of war is truth, this and other blogs (and of course the orgs and indivituals that discover that truth) are a priceless tool to keep it alive and kicking . Kicking goverments and corporations in their, full of bs, metaphorical nuts.
What I find disturbing is to think of the stuff that, for sure, we don’t know yet.
After one and a half year in the PR business I think I know a bit about how the information a becomes the age of misinformation.
On one level the internet does nothing but spread information faster, so what you need to do is to disinform. If you say it enough many times, people will start to believe you, because they don’t want to believe that they are hearing lies. I think populations in western democracies are extra vulnerable to this… in many countries people are more used to deal with lies.
For example my company were supposed to defend General Electric’s “rights” to its patents also in third world markets. Is this CSR?
What could be the solution? Blogs, wikis, twitter… through participating in the Internet we turn it into something different. We break the monopolies of information, and learn to value information. I hope
Plastic can be done away with or controlled, don’t see a reason other than greed of a few. Dunno much about cost-effectiveness but i really preferred dried leaves for packing which were in use not more than 10 yrs back.
There are still places, mostly rural, where dried leaves are in use but the scenario is changing as we speak! Rural population has far greater love for ecology,but lack knowledge. Shouldn’t administration/NGOs step in to at least commend people using traditional material.
Administrators are usually too busy praising themselves and helping corporations out to care enough about what regular people are doing.
At least, until they are “forced” to pay attention to what’s going on and to what people want.
@Daniel What could be the solution? Blogs, wikis, twitter… through participating in the Internet we turn it into something different. We break the monopolies of information, and learn to value information. I hope…
Well said Daniel. We need to learn to value information.
@Danish I think there are amazing practices in the rural areas that we can learn from. Somewhere in all the urbanization we forgot our traditional wisdom. ANother example to what you stated is rainwater harvesting. It was a way of life in india…but over the years has been forgotten. People are making efforts to revive it in rural as well as urban areas.
I think, as Daniel said, we need to value information.
Hemant, thank you for making it so simple and easy to understand. The big difference in what you do is that for once I want to read the stuff cause I know it will be interesting & not a challenge to my pea sized brain. Yes the choice is ours to remember to choose cloth over plastic and vegetarian over non vegetarian(if thus inclined). But I just worry a little about using the bottled products you mentioned. Its almost like its impossible to be ‘regular’ and not perpetrate the crime.
But I guess whats important is to be aware and change your life one choice at a time. And thanx so much for upping my awareness quotient with each of your posts.
Hemant, you wrote:
I honestly believe that rural life is romanticised way too much. The NASA report clearly states that most of the groundwater depletion is thanks to wasteful farming practices.
There was an interesting report in ‘The Economist’ a couple of weeks ago—http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14401149.
The most revelatory—if depressing—part was a quote by Jarnail Singh, a farmer in a village in Punjab: “We know the water is going. But we’re not going to change our ways unless the government makes us.”
This, mind you, after admitting earlier that “Punjab will become a desert, like Rajasthan.”
In fairness, this idiocy is not confined to India. See http://www.economist.com/world/unitedstates/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14506476.
Californian farmers are every bit as profligate as their counterparts here, deliberately depleting groundwater included.
@Ajit I do not doubt that stupid farmers exist, in India and the US as well as in Sweden. But if this is the problem we are very lucky. Convincing farmers about taking care of water seems like an easy task compared to change the production methods of multinational companies like Coca Cola, or the consumption madness in the west. And what a great process that would be for society! Rural and urban citizens tother get to know the resources they all depend on.
But I am afraid that the big problem is not the small farmers, but rather the big guys…
@Danile, you wrote, “Convincing farmers about taking care of water seems like an easy task compared to change the production methods of multinational companies like Coca Cola…”
The key word in your sentence is <u>seems</u>.
80% of India’s water resources are reserved for rural areas (a proportion fixed back at a time when 80:20 was the rural-urban ration but irrelevant today). Guess which section is most responsible for wasting water? Yup.
Farmers—small/medium/big—possess no depository of wisdom denied to the rest of humanity.
@Daniel. Completely agree with you.
@Ajit. Forgive my lack of understanding, but can you please tell me what is the point you are trying to make?
I think what is being said is:
a. India has a severe groundwater and water problem
b. Farmers will be comparatively easier to teach on how to use water wisely.
c. The big companies who are lying and spending millions of dollars to cover their lies are a huge problem. How do you tackle that?
d. You seem to confuse traditional wisdom with farmers’ wisdom. Traditional Wisdom is the amazing practices like water harvesting that we as a nation used to do ages ago, and which over time have fell into disuse. I think I clearly mentioned that above.
What I don’t understand is what is it that you are getting to?
Do you think big companies destroying India’s groundwater should get away with it? Because our farmers also waste water? If that is so, it seems a bit far fetched twist of logic.
I do not think quoting The Economist on all occasions will add anything more to your points.
WHo wastes water? Forget rural, how about Delhi?
Here is one article you would like to read:
http://www.indiatogether.org/2009/jul/env-renuka.htm
Amongst other things it says:
Delhi is rapidly becoming a city with virtually insatiable thirst for water. Using its political and economic power, however, it is quenching this thirst by extracting resources from places near and far. The city is already drawing water from the Bhakra dam, it also gets water from the Tehri project and now it is looking to the Renuka dam. Moreover, it expects to draw its remaining share of Yamuna waters from the Kishau and Lakhawar-Vyasi Dams in Uttarakhand. And all of this is accompanied by wide-spread submergence of villages, fields and forests, as well as the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.
Here is another link which you may want to read about Coke when you start talking about ‘responsibility of wasting water’
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0307-30.htm
(Don’t worry you will also find the data everywhere should you have two minutes to google it)
The Coca-Cola company proudly boasts that it has a water use ratio of 2.7 to 1. That is, for every 2.7 liters of water (freshwater) it takes from the earth, it produces 1 liter of product.
Do you really want to compare them to the farmers? I mean, really?
Lastly, take a look at this very famous campaign which sought to bring Coke to task:
http://www.indiaresource.org/campaigns/coke/
@Ajit, also as an addition to the above:
It is not about who to attack. Rather it is about bringing all sorts of malpractices to the surface so that noone can hide behind lies.
The farmers/people will have to use water wisely and not waste it. The companies like Coke need to clean up their acts.
And the bigger issue is claims by Coca-Cola which undermine the severity of the problem.
“In a claim ...the company has announced that the groundwater levels are rising in the area because of its rainwater harvesting initiatives and that the company already recharges six times the amount of water it takes from the ground in Kala Dera.”
When asked how they measure how much water is recharged in coming up with the six times recharge figure, Coca-Cola says they do not have any measuring mechanisms.
Don’t you think such misinformation would take the attention away from the real issue, which you also pointed out, the mismanagement of water?
@Daniel You asked a question if the low water levels had anything to with Himalayan Glaciers.
Well, what I am referring to here are groundwater levels. Which are at an abysmal low.
However, it does seem that there has been an escalating problem of Himalayan glaciers retreating, and that ultimately affecting the rivers in India.
Found this link you may find useful: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/2012.html
I think the retreating Himalayan glaciers are a cause for concern both in India and China.
And both the governments are talking at how best to deal with it.
@hemant @daniel the retreat of the gangotri glacier is well documented. have a look at http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=4594
hello, thankx for putting light on such serious issue’s. The great pacific garbage dump ..is really a reality check one has to take.!
i dont want to cross question u or point’s missing in ur story..but just one thing are we really doin our bit..n can we bring about even that 1% change n commitment required by us.!
im surely reduced with my usage of plastic bags from now.!
“an advertising con job’ hemant says of the ‘clean coal’ claims.
Trust him when he says this. He works in the business (at one of the more respected and reputable companies I might add), So he should know.
Clean coal. It’s like healthy crisps or barn eggs. A stretching of the truth. Treating us like fools.
As always, love the poster. Those ad skills really showing!
@satbir, yes we have the internet. And its amazing to see how well it is being used by various people to come together. The tcktcktck campaign is a brilliant example of how to mobilize people around the world using the internet.
A great link for exposing greenwashing is Fred Pearce: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/series/greenwash
More on clean coal, by the amazing Coen Brothers:
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/the-coen-brothers-do-clean-coal/
@prianca please by all means put questions, and I will try and answer to the best of my knowledge, or try to put links which help. To your question, are we doing our bit: I think, not really. Consumers have a lot of power in making companies think the right way.
Also, what we do personally goes a long way. We are the ones who have to stop refusing plastic bags.
There have been several comments taken off from this forum because they were off topic. Most of them were related to misuse of water in agricultural practices. While it is an important issue it doesn’t belong here, as we are talking about greenwashing and the power of asking questions here.
Here is a funny video of what would happen if we believed all the claims of big bad companies. Watch out for logos at the end of the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eO1Bm8Wrwe8
The Coca-Cola Company won the First Corporate Greenwashing Award founded by the Polaris Institute: “The award is presented to companies that have pushed profits higher while investing millions of dollars into covering up environmentally damaging practices with corporate social responsibility projects.”
http://www.polarisinstitute.org/coca_cola_company_wins_corporate_greenwashing_award
Some links about Plachimada that may help understand the background story:
http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?227376
http://www.indiatogether.org/2006/jan/env-cokesaga.htm#continue
Also why Coca Cola was banned from 100 campuses in the world:
http://www.icmrindia.org/Business Updates/Coca cola.htm
Even the Coke India funded TERI report of 2008 that evaluated only 6 out of its nearly 60 bottling plants in India was critical of its water usage: “The organization found that the plants are in compliance with Indian government regulations, but that several of the watersheds in which they are located – notably, in the northern Indian community of Kaladera – are so stressed that Coke should consider using either stored water, transporting it from another aquifer, relocating the plant or even shutting the $16 million Kaladera facility down altogether.”
http://www.thehindu.com/2008/01/17/stories/2008011757500400.htm
http://www.indusbusinessjournal.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm;=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications::Article&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=7F58A973E79E471589E8E62120D64298&AudID=F1B696626A8943B7B50052A323677014
Now when a study funded by a corporate suggests that the corporate should move out from an area then it is safe to assume that there is a problem.
Hence if NASA data shows that groundwater is declining in India and Coca Cola claims that its “corporate social responsibility projects” have helped increase the groundwater levels then it is plain and simple greenwashing.
However what is more significant is the struggle by the local government in Plachimada and other such people’s movement that raise an important question: who has the right to air, water and the earth? The citizen or the corporate? A question that becomes even more pertinent as the struggle over scarce resources intensifies. And as the blog post suggests more of us should be doing. Asking questions that is.
yes i believe we have to bump in to solve this problem. after reading ur post..im gonna surely do my bit.
thank u.. God Bless our beautiful planet.
Found this interesting little writing on the fear of questions: http://bit.ly/2QH3F0
How will we know, if we don’t ask.
Here’s an incredible video from TED about the damage plastics are doing to the environment. It’s a must watch:
http://www.ted.com/talks/capt_charles_moore_on_the_seas_of_plastic.html
Found this from Greenpeace. The power of asking questions: http://weblog.greenpeace.org/makingwaves/archives/2009/10/ask_questions.html#more
Revolution?
The only revolution will be that of a bullet revolving into the chamber of a gun before you are exterminated by the millions in the name of climate change.
Be careful what you ask for.
i don’t fight greed. i try to create abundance, show the upside of sharing.
Yes, we need revolution to get the politicos to stop talking and start acting. The people are not ready for a general Strike, but how about a General Tea-Break?
http://greenerblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/case-for-general-pause-to-counter.html
RIchard, that’s a really good idea! A simple positive step that can bring about a substantial change.
Hemant, thanks. We need to viral this idea, as it depends on achieving a critical mass of people.
Yes we should. I will think about an India chapter of this. We desperately need this idea there.
Bravo! You are extraordinaire!Formidable!