I feel like that at times it is hard to tell which products are really green because we don’t know what makes them green. It’s often hard for us to even be able to see the impacts our purchases make on the environment. Then there is often the problem of the fact that often-green products are more expensive so people wonder if it is really worth it. Often products that are environmentally friendly are of better quality. People didn’t start using the compact fluorescent light bulbs until they realized not only that they were green but because they would last longer which meant people didn’t have to change bulbs as often. The best selling green products are those that aren’t marketed as green products. As consumers we still want that latest and coolest thing on the market which can be green products.
I randomly opened to a section on businesses going green and decided to comment on that. The book talks about how businesses must make the effort at home first and have an eco-friendly business and factory. As against “going green” as I am, I think this is the most viable option for it. Sure the company is doing it so that they can say to consumers that they are “green”, but at the end of the day, they have the most power to change something. 1 consumer is 1 consumer, but a business changing their whole front can make a decent impact. The article continues on to use Phillips and Toyota as an example for going green and not compromising. Phillips used CFL light bulbs to bring the idea of longevity into play, instead of the green trend. I think that shows their true colors, putting forth optimization instead of just saying “we’re green”. I can’t stand when companies do it just for the publicity, but when they realize there’s a better way to optimize and make their company more efficient without the sole goal of publicity, that seems like a company made for the long run.
Marian Perez World Changing response #2 ADP III 10/16/09
Today I read about an artist named Sabrina Raaf who invented a carbon-sniffing robot that records the amount of carbon dioxide in a room. It draws a vertical mark on a wall with a green crayon every time it makes a reading and starts adding lines to the wall to look like grass, documenting the quality of air. I thought the whole idea was really clever. It was good that it brought awareness to people about the cleanliness of air and that just because we don’t see it does not mean that we should forget about it. Air quality is not only important to us but also to our world, we discussed in my Oceanography class how the air affects ocean waters. The one thing I did not understand was what marks did the robot make to represent good amounts of carbon dioxide and what marks did not. (pg. 98)
Brijit Spencer 10.19.09 ADP III World Changing Response II
When I started reading the segment on having a healthy home, I was actually a bit shocked. Although I am aware of the ridiculous amounts of chemicals and toxins we keep in our houses, I do not really think about how these remain in our systems, cycle back into our homes and bodies, and affect our well being and health. All of the toxins we use everyday in normal household cleaners cycle back into our lives in some form, we simply choose not to think about the consequences of these contaminates. I never considered how the cleaning products we use affect our infants through breast milk, and it scares me to think that we are feeding our babies toxic substances. It is also ironic to think that the chemicals we use to clean our homes-to make us feel safe and healthy-are actually causing more damage to our health. However, a lot of this damage is avoidable. Tea-tree oil and other eco-friendly alternatives can be used for disinfecting and simply avoiding fragranced soaps and detergents can help eliminate skin cell deterioration and cancer. It is nice to know that there are healthier, eco-friendly alternatives for keeping our homes both clean and safe, and in the long run, our own health and children as well. But the question remains, would people actually take advantage of these alternatives if made aware?
The section on Art Meets Technology is one of the cooler sections in the book. Many of the designs don’t create anything particularly useful but are just very “cool” on their own. The hugging shirt is a fantastic idea for someone who misses their lover and might be far from them at the time. This invention doesn’t necessarily do anything particularly useful but helps create a happier planet. At the very end of the day, this is the most important aspect of being a human. With many of these designs, I wish there was a bigger market for individual inventors and artists. Most of the designs we use now are originally designed by the brand or business behind them. A lot of these unique designs don’t gain any unique representation. I was thinking of a cool business concept after reading this. Make a company that allows these individuals to market their product through the company and therefore gain recognition. They would market the product under their own unique labels but would use the company funding for advertising. In return, the company takes commission on successfully representing a product. Both parties profit. There is no need for a general brand. You could even call the company something simple like “Brandless.”
I feel like that at times it is hard to tell which products are really green because we don’t know what makes them green. It’s often hard for us to even be able to see the impacts our purchases make on the environment. Then there is often the problem of the fact that often-green products are more expensive so people wonder if it is really worth it. Often products that are environmentally friendly are of better quality. People didn’t start using the compact fluorescent light bulbs until they realized not only that they were green but because they would last longer which meant people didn’t have to change bulbs as often. The best selling green products are those that aren’t marketed as green products. As consumers we still want that latest and coolest thing on the market which can be green products.
ReplyDeleteAndrew Hainen
ReplyDeleteADP III :: James Rotz
World Changing :: “Green Business” page 389
I randomly opened to a section on businesses going green and decided to comment on that. The book talks about how businesses must make the effort at home first and have an eco-friendly business and factory. As against “going green” as I am, I think this is the most viable option for it. Sure the company is doing it so that they can say to consumers that they are “green”, but at the end of the day, they have the most power to change something. 1 consumer is 1 consumer, but a business changing their whole front can make a decent impact.
The article continues on to use Phillips and Toyota as an example for going green and not compromising. Phillips used CFL light bulbs to bring the idea of longevity into play, instead of the green trend. I think that shows their true colors, putting forth optimization instead of just saying “we’re green”. I can’t stand when companies do it just for the publicity, but when they realize there’s a better way to optimize and make their company more efficient without the sole goal of publicity, that seems like a company made for the long run.
Marian Perez
ReplyDeleteWorld Changing response #2
ADP III
10/16/09
Today I read about an artist named Sabrina Raaf who invented a carbon-sniffing robot that records the amount of carbon dioxide in a room. It draws a vertical mark on a wall with a green crayon every time it makes a reading and starts adding lines to the wall to look like grass, documenting the quality of air. I thought the whole idea was really clever. It was good that it brought awareness to people about the cleanliness of air and that just because we don’t see it does not mean that we should forget about it. Air quality is not only important to us but also to our world, we discussed in my Oceanography class how the air affects ocean waters. The one thing I did not understand was what marks did the robot make to represent good amounts of carbon dioxide and what marks did not. (pg. 98)
Brijit Spencer
ReplyDelete10.19.09
ADP III
World Changing Response II
When I started reading the segment on having a healthy home, I was actually a bit shocked. Although I am aware of the ridiculous amounts of chemicals and toxins we keep in our houses, I do not really think about how these remain in our systems, cycle back into our homes and bodies, and affect our well being and health. All of the toxins we use everyday in normal household cleaners cycle back into our lives in some form, we simply choose not to think about the consequences of these contaminates. I never considered how the cleaning products we use affect our infants through breast milk, and it scares me to think that we are feeding our babies toxic substances. It is also ironic to think that the chemicals we use to clean our homes-to make us feel safe and healthy-are actually causing more damage to our health. However, a lot of this damage is avoidable. Tea-tree oil and other eco-friendly alternatives can be used for disinfecting and simply avoiding fragranced soaps and detergents can help eliminate skin cell deterioration and cancer. It is nice to know that there are healthier, eco-friendly alternatives for keeping our homes both clean and safe, and in the long run, our own health and children as well. But the question remains, would people actually take advantage of these alternatives if made aware?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe section on Art Meets Technology is one of the cooler sections in the book. Many of the designs don’t create anything particularly useful but are just very “cool” on their own. The hugging shirt is a fantastic idea for someone who misses their lover and might be far from them at the time. This invention doesn’t necessarily do anything particularly useful but helps create a happier planet. At the very end of the day, this is the most important aspect of being a human. With many of these designs, I wish there was a bigger market for individual inventors and artists. Most of the designs we use now are originally designed by the brand or business behind them. A lot of these unique designs don’t gain any unique representation. I was thinking of a cool business concept after reading this. Make a company that allows these individuals to market their product through the company and therefore gain recognition. They would market the product under their own unique labels but would use the company funding for advertising. In return, the company takes commission on successfully representing a product. Both parties profit. There is no need for a general brand. You could even call the company something simple like “Brandless.”
ReplyDelete