"It's late in July and it is really cold outside in New York. Where the hell is GLOBAL WARMING???? We need some fast!"
"The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive"
"We should be focused on magnificently clean and healthy air and not distracted by the expensive hoax that is global warming!"
Sound familiar? That's because it's what the world's most powerful man, Donald Trump, has to say about global warming on Twitter.
Historians Oreskes & Conway don't exactly share Trump's beliefs, and in their book The Collapse of Western Civilization , they describe the future climate catastrophe as the only all-encompassing catastrophe in world history that we were fully aware was coming, but chose to ignore. In their book they write: "the political and economic elites of the so-called advanced industrial societies - failed to act, and so brought about the collapse of Western civilization". With this frightening future scenario in mind, it's high time we put environmental awareness on the agenda - both in private homes and in global industries.
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Patagonia: life on earth is under threat of extinction
As many know, the clothing industry is one of the largest climate polluting industries worldwide. This includes not only CO emissions, but also water, air and ground pollution. But who says this has to be a fact? Can't the clothing industry be made more environmentally friendly?
If you ask outdoor brand Patagonia, the answer is yes. The first statement in their mission statement reads: "At Patagonia, we appreciate that all life on earth is under threat of extinction. We aim to use the resources we have-our business, our investments, our voice and our imaginations-to do something about it". At Patagonia, these are not just empty words, but actually the basis for action.
Worn wear: better than new
When Patagonia designs clothing, they are not influenced by the latest fashion week trends. Instead, their design criteria are that the clothes should be functional, repairable and long-lasting. They don't want to promote the "use-and-throw-away" culture, but rather they want consumers to be able to use their clothes for generations - although this may mean that they don't sell as many clothes as they potentially could.
To avoid consumers throwing out their clothes if, for example, a seam breaks, Patagonia has launched the concept of worn wear. "Why extend the life of gear? Because the best thing we can do for the planet is get more use out of stuff we already own, cutting down on consumption". Patagonia highlights that by keeping your clothes for just 9 extra months, the associated environmental footprint can be reduced by 20-30%. Therefore, you can drop off your used Patagonia clothes in their stores and receive a gift card, after which they wash and repair the clothes and sell them online.
How are other global companies making the world a little greener?
In many ways, Patagonia is a pioneer for the clothing industry if we want to make the world a little greener. Most companies today have a well-defined environmental policy with goals and initiatives to reduce their carbon footprint, but what is actually being done?
This year, Disney will stop their internal consumption of disposable straws. It may not sound like the world's biggest initiative, but on an annual basis, this means that 175 million plastic straws will no longer be produced.
IKEA has more than 700,000 solar panels to provide energy for their stores and expects to use 100 percent green energy by 2020.
Panasonic moved their headquarters downtown to a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified building, allowing employees to reduce their carbon footprint through shortened transportation.
LEGO has invested DKK 1 billion in research and development to find an alternative sustainable material to replace plastic in all their production.
So, something is being done, but is it just window dressing or a genuine interest in reducing the environmental footprint?
It's too expensive - let's try green washing
Research shows that 80% of consumers are more willing to support companies that focus on being environmentally friendly. Businesses know this, and what is their primary purpose? To maximize their profits. That's why some companies sell themselves as green instead of actually being green - they don't have green production, but green marketing. Many environmental organizations have become aware of this greenwashing, and in 2004 it hit car giant Ford hard.
Ford wanted to make up for their poor environmental image by launching the Escape Hybrid SUV. With the slogan: "Green vehicles. Cleaner factories. It's the right road for our company and we're well under way", Ford tried to appear green, clean and environmentally friendly.
However, the reality was different. The 20,000 hybrid cars Ford produced per year turned out to be only a fraction of their total production. For example, they were still producing 80,000 highly polluting Truck F-series vehicles and their factories were still rated as the most polluting in the US automotive industry. Despite the scandal, Ford did have one success - they won the American environmental organizations' award for the worst example of greenwashing of the year.
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Stop the laundry and put on your work gloves
There should be no doubt that it's time to put climate change on the agenda. While some companies, like Patagonia, are making a virtue of reducing their environmental footprint, many companies are still using the green wave to boost their sales with green PR rhetoric. As consumers, we've heard the advice: eat less beef, cycle, buy recycled, etc. and many of us are trying to live a greener life. But if we really want to save the world, it's time for businesses to join the fight - otherwise we could soon be facing The Collapse of Western Civilization .
If you're left thinking your own workplace has a poor climate policy, read on this articleand learn how you can stand up for the environment and take the confrontation in a considerate way.
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