Comments on: Canadian Graphic Designers Adopt Sustainability Principles http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/08/02/canadian-graphic-designers-adopt-sustainability-principles/ Environmental Leader Fri, 25 May 2012 22:05:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Alan Seymour http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/08/02/canadian-graphic-designers-adopt-sustainability-principles/comment-page-1/#comment-170587 Alan Seymour Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:26:31 +0000 http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=19062#comment-170587 I think that graphic designers are very susceptible to the greenwashing of suppliers. Most don't scratch beneath the surface of self promotion. For instance, a paper producer that promotes itself as "a brighter shade of green" and as a protector of forests owns lands in Canada that are being logged in such a destructive way, that nine Canadian environmental groups have stepped in to protest and to lobby for more stringent forestry protection laws. But based upon the social networking that occurs between this company and the graphic community, I see no evidence that anyone is aware of the company's environmental abuses, or if they are that they care. This leads me to think that much of the talk about design and sustainability is superficial, or worse yet - selfserving. I'm a researcher in this area and I've come to believe that people and organizations generally are genuine about their environmental concerns but rarely do enough to actually improve a situation. This is often due to a lack of knowledge or business relationships that transcend a supplier's transgressions. Follow these links and draw your own conclusions about "a brighter shade of green" http://halifax.mediacoop.ca/story/2241 http://www.ecologyaction.ca/ I think that graphic designers are very susceptible to the greenwashing of suppliers. Most don’t scratch beneath the surface of self promotion. For instance, a paper producer that promotes itself as “a brighter shade of green” and as a protector of forests owns lands in Canada that are being logged in such a destructive way, that nine Canadian environmental groups have stepped in to protest and to lobby for more stringent forestry protection laws. But based upon the social networking that occurs between this company and the graphic community, I see no evidence that anyone is aware of the company’s environmental abuses, or if they are that they care. This leads me to think that much of the talk about design and sustainability is superficial, or worse yet – selfserving. I’m a researcher in this area and I’ve come to believe that people and organizations generally are genuine about their environmental concerns but rarely do enough to actually improve a situation. This is often due to a lack of knowledge or business relationships that transcend a supplier’s transgressions.

Follow these links and draw your own conclusions about “a brighter shade of green”
http://halifax.mediacoop.ca/story/2241

http://www.ecologyaction.ca/

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