Environmentalists shouldn’t join any company’s environmental initiative, according to an article on AlterNet by Phil Mattera, research director of Good Jobs First. Instead, Mattera argues that human activists should be leading the effort to clean up the planet, and corporations should be made to follow their lead.
Mattera worries that there is a risk that the heightened level of collaboration between corporations and activists will undermine the justification for an independent environmental movement. “Why pay dues to a green group if its agenda is virtually identical to that of GE and DuPont?”
“It would behoove enviros to be more skeptical of corporate green claims and less eager to jump into bed with business,” Mattera writes. “It certainly makes sense to seek specific concessions from corporations and to offer moderate praise when they comply, but activists should maintain an arm’s-length relationship to business and not see themselves as partners.”
Retailers, Developers and Eco-Business Leaders...learn about green retail trends, consumer buying habits and sustainable business practices. Register NOW to Attend!
The 2008 Green Leaders Survey collects sustainability program insights from business and civic leaders. Learn from peers what works and what doesn't. Take survey>>
Recycling rates in the U.S. are low and getting lower. The U.S., by far the world's biggest consumer of aluminum ... continue »
Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of financial institution executives say they plan to build new or undergo a major remodel of an existing ...
click to view full size chart »
This promotional video features restaurateurs discussing sustainable solutions and Conserve, the environmental initiative of the National Restaurant Association....
Join the Discussion