I noticed that I haven't used this space for ranting in quite a while. So here it goes:
The other day I saw an advertisement in the tube telling the habitually comatose commuter audience that recycling a water bottle instead of throwing it out gains enough energy to power a living room lamp for six hours. Or some such thing. I don't remember the numbers. I was half asleep myself.
The advertisement was for some plastic bottle maker trying to restyle itself as environmentally responsible. The characteristic I would have picked is devious because they didn't tell how much energy is saved by not buying a plastic bottle in the first place.
Anyway, this advertisement was only the second worst I've seen recently. The uncontested number one is, well, one, a company that's out to save the world, one wasteful plastic water bottle after another. The industry must really be hurting if they resort to such hyperbolic bullshit.
What is scary is that this pretending to be responsible has really taken off. Everyone is green these days, everyone is hugging trees and being good. Unsuspecting citizens are being dumbed into believing that powering your car with corn-derived ethanol does the environment good. Budget airlines all over Europe fight global warming by buying more planes and LiveEarth... I don't have to say anything about LiveEarth, do I? The color green has gone through a profound change in meaning lately.
I ride my bike to work, but only because it's fastest. If a Hummer H1 would get me there quicker, I might consider it. I drink tap water because I already carry enough when I go shopping. I don't own a car because I don't need one, and I liberally fly across Europe in search of old friends and a good time. I care for the environment, but please don't call me green. Not these days anyway.
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