Glenn:

“Almost certain you’re on Al’s list, but just in case.
It’s almost worth a blog article about the next generation of nonpartisan “political” speech and action.
It also helps to be Nobel laureate :~)

Regards,

P.”

REPOWER AMERICA

When a clean energy economy finally becomes a reality in America, people will look back to the day that together, you and I launched The Repower America Wall.

The Wall is a place where literally thousands and thousands of people committed to a revolutionary new energy future for our nation and the world are coming together — to express our hopes, share our resolve, and step up to a leadership role in building a grassroots movement for change like nothing America has ever seen. It’s an opportunity for you to be part of the climate movement in a new way, in a way that takes us beyond ourselves.

By asking people from all over the country to share their thoughts and images on the Wall, we are fueling a campaign that brings together the power of national media with the strength and connection of on-the-ground organizing in a way that no one has ever done before. Your voice, and the voices of your friends, neighbors and colleagues, will become the language of our campaign on TV, in print, on billboards, online, and in brand new ways that you will help us invent as we create the Wall.

We know that the political will to transition America to a clean energy economy already exists. You are part of it. But now we must make sure our leaders know it too. The Wall will become our collective voice and thus transform the debate into action.

It’s an ambitious strategy — and it has to be.

Nothing short of every one of us joined together is needed to overcome the resistance of the powerful special interests blocking our path to a clean energy future, settling for the dangerous status quo.

But the time for politics is over. We have the power to force change in America.

Together, you and I will use the Wall as the foundation for all of our activism in the days and weeks ahead.

But first, I need you to meet me at the Wall.

Share your voice on The Repower America Wall right now.

The Wall is a revolutionary approach to standing up for what we believe in — for what our country needs. It combines the power of your voice with the force of a multi-media campaign, to build a collective call for change so loud it’s undeniable.

The messages you and many thousands of others leave at the Wall are the tidal wave that will break on Washington, and put us on the path to victory.

Our grassroots organizers in the states will use the Wall — your Wall — as proof that all of our friends and neighbors are as committed to clean energy as we are — that we are joined together in this commitment.

Content shared on the Wall will be used to create ads and other forms of communication that will go directly to your elected officials so that everywhere they look they will see the very people they represent, their constituents, calling for action now on clean energy — in the local newspaper, on television, on billboards, on the radio, and on important local and national websites. There will be no place to hide. The Wall will be everywhere.

When our opponents throw roadblocks in our way, we’ll gather at the Wall to fight back.

And when key decisions are at hand, we’ll light up the Wall to let politicians who side with powerful interests against clean energy do so at their own peril.

The time to demand a clean energy future for America is now. But we must stand together. Unless we do everything in our power to make our voices heard, the change we seek will not happen.

Stand up and be a part of the generation that makes future generations proud — join the movement and share your voice on The Repower America Wall today.

This is just the beginning. Next week we will take this campaign to the airwaves with new Repower America national television ads featuring real messages from the Wall. By acting now to share your own personal message on the Repower America Wall, you can insure that you were there at the start.

What you and I do today will determine everything about our country’s future and the world our children will inherit. The time for action is right now and the cause deserves your best efforts.

If you want to win and insure our clean energy future, I’ll see you at the Wall.

Together we can make this happen.

Thank you,

Al Gore

Thank you, Mr. Gore!

“…because your blog is related to our mission of living healthy lives on a green planet. This is just a quick note introducing the Local Action Challenge, a local contest that encourages people in Denver, CO to think global, act local… and win prizes doing it!

“SustainLane is heading up the Local Action Challenge in partnership with Hopenhagen, an international movement to drive action on climate change at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15) in Copenhagen this December.

“Cities across the country – like Denver, CO – have sent in their top-ten lists of actions they’d like residents to take in order to combat climate change and otherwise care for the planet right in their own communities.”

According to Adam Waks, marketing manager for SustainLane Media, the program is gaining momentum. “So far, we have seen an incredible number of participants from all over the country. Since we launched the site on October 7th, thousands of people have visited and many are stepping up to the challenges, including Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates, who challenged his constituents to follow his lead and “walk at least 10,000 steps each day.” As we get closer to the Copenhagen Climate Conference in December and as more media begins to cover our challenges, we expect this number to increase rapidly.”

May the Force be with us!

Glenn,

I hope all has been well.  We are performing some research on how and what consumers think about biodegradable plastics.  The more response from the general public we receive the better the data.

Below is the link to the survey.  If you are interested in posting a link to the survey I can create a collector created just for Green Streets which would redirect the survey takers to a URL of your choosing at the conclusion of the survey as well as customize the Thank You page.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=fktlqEFDW1aNgZgWodfrRA_3d_3d
I would also provide you the survey results data.

Thank you,
Danny Clark
ENSO Bottles, LLC

So I came across this article, Seeking to Save the Planet, With a Thesaurus on the NY Times recently and it coincided very nicely with my recent post on effective communications for sustainable product branding. Namely that the language we use in marketing communications (whether it be for social/environmental campaigns or product branding), has to connect with the audience. So this firm EcoAmerica had put together a study, of which portions were leaked out on the internet a month prior to its official release. Quoting from the NY Times article,

“Mr. Perkowitz said…to reframe the issue using different language. “Energy efficiency” makes people think of shivering in the dark. Instead, it is more effective to speak of “saving money for a more prosperous future.” In fact, the group’s surveys and focus groups found, it is time to drop the term “the environment” and talk about “the air we breathe, the water our children drink.” “Another key finding: remember to speak in TALKING POINTS aspirational language about shared American ideals, like freedom, prosperity, independence and self-sufficiency while avoiding jargon and details about policy, science, economics or technology.”

Indeed. People respond to language that is meaningful to them and speaks to their values. However, I must note that I am not advocating an infomercial type of language be used in environmental marketing. There are serious cynics out there to anything labeled as “green”, and this type of marketing approach will just further their suspicions. In order to get them on board, marketers and copywriters have to be responsible. Sure, we want to get as many click-throughs, email signups, trials, donations, purchases, etc. as possible. But the sustainability era demands objectivity, credibility, and a degree of compassionate communications that we’ve seen effectively employed by the best nonprofits for decades. In only this manner can we reach our collective goal as a movement.

So what to do? We’ll avoid jargon and subjective copy all-together. We’ll appeal to the values of the average American, not the greenie. We’ll apply the usability thinking of Steve Krug when it comes to website design: “Don’t make me think”Made to Stick SUCCES principles: simple, unexpected, concrete, credible, emotional, and stories.

This closing mantra should be written on a piece of good paper and kept available in the pocket at all times (simple, unecpected, concrete, credible, emotional, stories).

“Just came across your very kind article on the Change Couture project as well as the video which I had never seen. I love how you ended it with Bruce’s quote “I say to all the artists out there, don’t buy canvas!”

“Anyway, thanks for the plug! I’m assuming you must be on my listserve… I’ll be sending out a newsletter soon with photos and details from the trip.

“Thanks again!”

Nancy Judd
Recycle Runway

The Obamanos Coat

Nancy Judd, New Mexico developer of Recycle Runway and a participant in our video, “Trashy Art,” writes of her new project called the Campaign for Change Couture Collection:  “This new series of garments, made from left over Obama campaign materials, is a documentation of my experience being a volunteer for this historic campaign and is a tribute to the millions of other people (including many of you!) who gave countless hours to assure the election of Barack Obama.”

Judd follows with this missive on important connections:

The Obamanos Coat

“I thought you might enjoy this wonderful article that the New Mexican printed yesterday about the Campaign for Change Couture Collection! http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Leisure/Campaign-couture

“Also, the Wall Street Journal just published a story about the Smithsonian’s Obama Exhibit that they are creating and used a photo of my dress! http://blogs.wsj.com:80/runway/2009/01/05/barack-obama-fashion-tchotchke-at-the-smithsonian/ One of my goals is to have the collection included in this very exhibit, what better introduction could I ask for!!

“THANK YOU to so many of you for your support of this project– I can’t tell you how touched I am by your generous contributions and well wishes!”

It is worthwhile to visit to Recycle Runway, pass the information on, and solicit funding assistance.

Thanks for the YouTube Links. I think the trash issue will become something everyone has to face. The current economic trends are actually causing recycling centers to close because the demand for recycled materials is almost zero and the centers cannot get financing to secure extra storage space. The blog link I sent addresses the reduce side of the recycling triangle, but GreenStreets could really get social networking traction focusing on the reuse portion. There are a few “freegan” sites to match new users and old stuff, but a place to post creative alternative uses for old stuff is lacking. This could lead to great competitions and a renewed focus on a cultural norm from the Great Depression. Just a thought on an underserved market niche.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Rob Clemens