A lesson in greenwashing
Friends,
As I write this the California Senate and Assembly are quickly moving through all remaining bills as today marks the last day of the 2021 legislative session.
After today, lawmakers head back to their districts and all eyes turn to Governor Newsom.
Assuming he survives next week’s Recall election (polls are looking positive so far, thankfully), the Governor has until midnight on October 10 to decide the fate of every bill passed by the Legislature this year. Cal Matters has been keeping track of the “big” bills currently on their way to the Governor’s desk and those that fell short. After midnight today, many more will be added.
Speaking of which, I am a huge fan of Cal Matters. It is a nonprofit news room that specializes in breaking down complex state policy issues for digestion by the lay person. They created this outstanding California Legislator Tracker that includes a stunning visual breakdown of where lawmakers fall on the ideological spectrum, based on their voting history. Would be great to see a visual like this for Congress. Does anyone know if one already exists?
Are you old enough to remember the offensive “Crying Indian” commercial (there may have been several) that aired throughout the 70s and into the 80s from the organization Keep America Beautiful? I was very young at the time but remember it well.
Turns out, the ad was commissioned by the beverage and container industries to deflect growing anti-pollution sentiment. Instead of placing blame on industry, the ad convinced us that combating pollution was an individual responsibility.
The campaign was brilliant and effective. It worked so well, in fact, that fossil fuel folks enlisted the same devious tactics in 2004 to convince us that fighting climate change is not about regulating industry, but a simple matter of reducing our individual “carbon footprint”. This campaign is also working remarkably well. Corporate America’s ardent pledges to “become carbon neutral by (insert date)” are more of the same green washing.
Read more about how BP re-wrote the climate change narrative.
Case in Point: Starbucks has a beautifully worded page on their website assuring us that they “aspire to give more than we take from the planet” yet their gajillion plastic and paper cups are not recyclable in most places.
Thankfully, SB 343 (Allen) is right now on its way to the Governor. The bill “prohibits the use of the chasing-arrows symbol or any other suggestion that a material is recyclable, unless the material is actually recyclable in most California communities and is routinely sold to manufacturers to make new products.” Read more about it here.
On an ending note, last night’s thunderstorm (first in many many months) felt like a gift from heaven. Even though my dog and my daughter were both completely freaked out, it was beautiful.
As always, please text me back with your feedback.
Are you in politics here in California or elsewhere? What are you working on?
Stay well,
Kristina