GreenPepper Blog

Add Coal to Clean Energy Alternatives

By Beth Starkin, PepperDigital

As a nation, we’ve become fixated on clean energy, which is a good thing. But for most of us, that means biofuels, solar, wind and maybe a little hydro. In a departure from this, President Obama announced yesterday that coal will be a significant piece of the clean energy puzzle. While it’s true that coal will never be truly clean, in making this announcement, the President has brought attention to an important subject – that there is no silver bullet solution to our quest for clean energy, and finding ways to improve what we’ve already got will be just as important as finding alternatives.

All too often, our society focuses on the new “bright shiny object” of the day, fixating on the promising, yet unproven, new technology that offers the hope of clean, American-made power. And in this fervor, the tried-and-true, but boring technology gets all but ignored. The problem is that with new technology comes roadblocks and problems, and this has created a view that clean energy is decades away from being a fully viable, when the reality is that clean, American-sourced options are here today.

Adding fuel to the fire is that many of the companies behind the advances in cleaning up dirty technology won’t talk about it, because they are afraid of how what they are doing will be perceived among environmentalists. But if we’re going to solve our energy problems now, and not 10 years from now, they are going to have to take a page from Obama’s book, and start talking about how these technologies play in the clean energy mix and why they make sense for us to use today. The planet will benefit, and so will their business.

Just how helpful will the new Alaskan polar bear habitat be?

By Ann Barlow, GreenPepper

I’m sure you’ve seen the same pictures that have haunted me over the past couple of years – exhausted, hungry polar bears paddling long distances between ever-smaller ice floats.  So I was pretty excited to read on Friday about the proposed habitat in Alaska that would protect the endangered polar bear.  The Interior Department has said that the new habitat won’t deter commerce, because oil and gas companies can still drill.

That might even work, and what could be better than finding a way to meet the needs of both humans and our fellow inhabitants of the earth? (Don’t misunderstand – ultimately the drilling for oil and gas needs to move toward other, cleaner energy solutions.)   But what I don’t understand is how this helps solve the underlying problem that is putting polar bears in so much danger – melting ice.  Apparently, the Endangered Species Act is not meant to address climate change, even when it’s the principle reason for a species’ potential extinction.  Well why the heck not?

To me, if there is such a link between the two, it’s time to modify the Act so that it addresses the underlying cause.  Because clearly, just setting aside land – albeit a full 200,541 square miles of coastal Alaska – is only a finger in the dike.  I’d like my great grandchildren to see pictures of healthy polar bears in the wild in the present, not the past. If that means sticking our own necks out further to more directly challenge those who would stand in the way, so be it.  The images of those exhausted, hungry bears should give us all the bravery we need.

International Day of Climate Action

By Beth Starkin, GreenPepper

Readers to this blog likely already know tomorrow is the International Day of Climate Action.  Taking this day as an impetus, we decided to do a little experiment here at Peppercom, and declare today Peppercom No Impact Day as another way to improve our green footprint.

I call it an experiment because as I drafted an email to our staff encouraging them to participate and offering helpful hints like try biking to work and forgo the convenience of the grocery store for the local farmer’s market, I wasn’t really sure what kind of response or participation level I would get.  After all, we’ve already taken away paper cups and plastic spoons (sending germaphobes into a panic), sent persuasive emails asking everyone to shut down their computers at night (causing workaholics to wonder how they can access their desktop from home in the wee hours of the morning) and begged folks to print double sided (you’d be amazed how much confusion this caused when people couldn’t “find” the second page of a document).  Could we continue to push folks to do more?  What I found was green champions I had no idea existed and an overall willingness from my coworkers to do their part.  After sending out my little note, I received excited responses from across the agency, and from some, additional suggestions.

But what I really discovered, is continuing to push harder on green issues and ask more of people is becoming more accepted by many.  With tiny green steps behind them, people are more willing to take larger ones, but sometimes just need a little prodding.  It’s exciting to see so many mindsets changing, and ears open for suggestions. 

Different Shades of Green

By Ann Barlow, GreenPepper

Today, our colleagues at RepMan and Pepperdigital wrote about a month-long series the latter, in conjunction with Upstream Asia, has begun concerning social media across cultures.

Turns out, not totally surprisingly, that while strong affinity groups have been created across cultures on everything from soccer to folk music, there are some strong differences, too.  Of course, those differences aren’t just from country to country, but region to region within those countries.

For all communicators, this has some pretty serious implications – no less for those focused on environmental issues.  We see this first hand with our global clients.  What is considered progress in one part of the world is positively antediluvian in another.  And what motivates one culture toward climate action – from an awakened sense of responsibility to business growth opportunities – varies widely.  What we’ve learned is that overarching themes and messages can be universal, but submessages and tactics must fit the market.  Ironically, this is where the rise of microtargeted media can actually help.  That’s not to say, as the Pepperdigital team points out, that traditional media aren’t equally important.  It’s more a case of understanding how we can use all forms of media to inform, persuade and engage people.  When it comes to the environment, getting this right is not just important.  The world depends on it.