GREENOMICS
About 3 years
ago representatives from a climate change activist organization visited our
office and added to our knowledge and understanding of global warming, and what
steps they take to prevent governments and corporations from making decisions
that harm the environment. Having had an opportunity to interact with the representatives
and the list of their green achievements, several people including myself
registered with them and rendered our support. I have been receiving their
newsletters and specific campaigning requests from them from time to time.
Emotionally charged after watching films like "Battle in Seattle," I too felt good that I a supporting a good cause.
Recently one
of their campaigns was directed towards a particular wireless telecom operator
asking them to use alternate fuel to support the operation of their mobile
towers. I have been working closely with wireless network firms in both
domestic and international markets since quite some time, I personally felt (I
still do) that asking only one operator to switch their mode of power supply
while there are several others of similar size, reach, customer base and
profitability. Instead of simply signing up the campaign I wrote a reply to my
friend who forwarded the mail to me, asking for an opinion and details. Not
being convinced (still) about the logical reason for that particular campaign,
I did not make my contribution.
Before I
promise my support for their future campaigns, I started searching for logic in
the way they choose and target their campaigns. Sadly, I did not find any
campaigns in this organization's website that is targeted towards me - the end
user - to change the way I consume energy, or methods/ideas that can help me save
my dependency on fossil fuels. From then on, I started ignoring their
campaigns. The purpose of this story was not to point out the incompetency of a
particular organization, but to highlight the power of the individual
user/customer to choose products and services that reduce our carbon footprint.
Change needs
to happen in the way we (individuals) look at products/services/habits. If I
choose to buy/use a certain product over a conventional one, which would help
me reduce my carbon footprint, any provider would be happy to stock that
particular product/brand so long as I keep buying it from him. Imagine how positive the impact would be if
each one of us start choosing eco-friendly products! Doesn't it make sense to
us if we start changing our own consumption patterns (and thereby driving the
market to transition) instead of campaigning against some service provider to
change their products? I found logic in changing myself for good and
influencing my service providers to change because I have.
More on
Greenomics to follow.
