Sunday, November 11, 2007

Go Green. Everybody’s Doing It.

My favorite color is green, so imagine my excitement when I discovered that green is SO the new black. If you aren't green, then you will not be sitting with the popular kids in the cafeteria.

Green's in. It's the new "it" thing in the business world. But just how genuine is this overwhelming crusade to conserve the environment? Are organizations really that concerned with preservation, or is it just a ploy to reach out to customers who are actively demanding a more socially responsible corporate America?

I'm not so sure, and there are others who agree with me.

In his blog "It's Not Easy… Being Green", Steve Crescenzo expresses the same wary sentiments about the green trend that I have. He pinpoints major hotel chains and how they use "going green" as a means to save themselves money while improving customer relations. After reading his blog, I had to admit that a little piece of my optimistic side shriveled up and wilted.

I want companies to be socially responsible, but I only want them to claim being so if they truly mean it.

Perhaps I'm dreaming of a utopian corporate culture where CEOs volunteer on Saturday mornings with the charities they choose to support, but I can't help thinking of corporations like General Mills that actively strive to be more environment-friendly. The numerous changes it has taken to minimize negative effects on the environment should be inspirational to other companies. General Mills goes beyond writing checks—it leads by example.

I love that our society is growing more concerned with giving back, and I hope that going green is more than an ephemeral fad and another way to increase the bottom line

2 comments:

A said...

I agree with you Meg. It's nice to see companies doing the right thing, because it IS the right thing, not because everyone is jumping on the band wagon. Recently, everyone in my class gave presentations on Corporate Social Responsibility and it was very inspiring! Companies like Starbucks, The Gap, Green Mountain Coffee, Ikea and many other are making huge strides for the environment, employees, etc.

Meg Roberts said...

Thank you Amy Lynn for your comment! I'm glad other students agree with me on this issue! It's so nice to see companies giving back to their communities in some way, and I know this will make my job as a communicator much easier!