RE-TWEET IT!
Tweet
Today is ‘Blog Action Day‘. I’m sure you’ve heard it. It’s all over the blogosphere.
However, I’m not completely impressed. For 4 reasons. Here they are.
1. Focus on ‘celebrities’.
From the “Blog Action Day” blog:
“And if you thought Google was the only company who’d be writing for the environment this Monday, then you may want to think again. From blog networks, to media blogs to even the blogs of American banking corporation Wells Fargo…”
“Mashable, Read/WriteWeb, TreeHugger and JohnChow join!”
Yeah, and that makes me leap around my bedroom screaming in joy?!
The environment belongs to us all. And in an awareness building event like this, EVERYONE is a celebrity.
Some celebrities have wider reach – others influence a smaller group. Yet every persona involved is EQUALLY important.
2. Take ‘Action’ – but WHAT action?
The event raises awareness about the environment, sure. But what element of it am I becoming more aware of?
The theme seems too loosely and vaguely defined.
“The best way to participate is to post on your blog something that relates to the environment. Your post can be about anything to do with the environment.”
And by doing so, what end point will I help achieve?
Far better to focus on one (or a few) specific problems or issues – and have each blogger do a post giving his or her specific ‘take’ or viewpoint on it.
3. No compelling ‘reason why’.
In fact, there are MANY reasons NOT to join.
The headline on the homepage screams:
“Fifteen thousand blogs, Twelve million readers, Blogs like LifeHacker & GigaOm, Companies like Reddit & Google, Organisations like the United Nations…”
The message I get, as a regular guy reading this page…
“We’ve got BIG power here and many people helping spread the word, we don’t really need you!”
So why should I join?
4. Snobbish superciliousness.
“Our aim is to get everyone talking towards a better future.”
Yeah, right, we’ve got all problems of TODAY solved, now we’ve got to look at the future!
For many people what matters is TODAY. Now. Here.
Tell them HOW caring about the environment matters – both today AND in the future. If I’m starving, or dying, or struggling today, the furthest thing in my mind is solving TOMORROW’S problems!
All these are areas where Blog Action Day could be better. And maybe Collis Ta’eed, Leo Babauta and Cyan Ta’eed will read this post, take copious notes and have this fixed next year! 
But there’s one overwhelming positive – they took action to make this happen. And whatever impact it makes, at least it’s happening, instead of lying hidden within the minds of a few dreamers and enthusiasts as a vague plan.
So I’m doing my bit for the environment, and sharing some thoughts about how we can save our planet. Indulge me by reading and thinking about them.
1. Analyze your feelings about WHY you want to “Help Save The Earth”. You may not. But then, think about your WHY for that, too. You may just have a ‘conservation disability’!
2. Ask yourself WHAT you can do to help. Understand that every little bit helps, and that you – yes, YOU – can make a difference. Read about the ‘Butterfly Effect’ to see how this happens.
Caring for the environment is too important, personal and real for you to leave to the ‘other guy’, be it a huge corporation or big Government or rich capitalists.
3. Think about things you can re-cycle - and I mean ‘think out of the box’. Don’t stick with just cans, newspapers and bottles. Don’t even stop with just what’s on this list here.
Or do something else. You could adopt the sky! Or do something as simple as striving for a paperless office or help even just by blogging. Here are 50 more ideas.
And after that, dream of living in an eco-friendly home – even if it isn’t a 15,000 square foot $29 million ‘certified green’ mansion like the one my friend Frank McKinney is building in Florida!
Related Links of Interest:
- More posts about Blog Action Day
- Gone: Mass Extinction and the Hazards of Earth’s Vanishing Biodiversity
- The Environmental Movement – And Why It’s Not Working
- Go Green – And save a boatload of money!
- Join Blog Action Day and get a Nobel Peace prize
Take the quiz and find out what kind of blogger you are!
Comments on this entry are closed.