I understand Greenpeace hates this commercial, as the company behind it is somewhat less than “green” – and the little segment in the strip mine is jarring —
Nevertheless, images have a power of their own – and images like this reinforce a vision of renewable technology – and a powerful, subconscious connection with the earth – that resonates beyond the intentions, good or bad, of those that commissioned it.
The Green Man motif has many variations. Found in many cultures around the world, the Green Man is often related to natural vegetative deities springing up in different cultures throughout the ages. Primarily it is interpreted as a symbol of rebirth, or “renaissance,” representing the cycle of growth each spring. Some[1][2]speculate that the mythology of the Green Man developed independently in the traditions of separate ancient cultures and evolved into the wide variety of examples found throughout history.
Here’s the whole mythical, archetypical deal. The Green Man is an ineradicable symbolic construct that arises somehow out of our deep genetic and biological connection with the earth, some kind of male principle in the psyche – complimentary to the more commonly recognized “Mother Earth”. Ubiquitous in Medieval Cathedrals and more ancient art, the Industrial Revolution tried to reason him away. But he keeps coming back, as a leprechaun, a fairy, as Robin Hood, as an icon in commercial advertisements, – and for space age technological sophisticates, as the Hulk, as Green Lantern, – as “Little Green Men” – from “outer space”.
Good. Bad. Angry, Inspirational. Indifferent. Same guy. He’s hardwired.
And lately, he’s been trying to get your attention.
Many things are green outside…
Hmm… interesting thoughts re “green man”. It’s apparently not necessarily associated with size (leprechauns). I wonder aloud, do we also see other color motifs? The red man or the blue man? A few, yes, but I agree that green man seems to be a genuine motif of folklore. How about Gawain and the Green Knight? Yep, definitely something to that. Not as striking as the common motif of the dragon… but definitely there.
On the main issue, I agree that the commercial does have its oddities, most strikingly the strip mine sequence. It seems to steer away from being overtly political through the inclusion of obviously apolitical scenarios: the water wheels and ocean current wheels, and the underground propane tank. I suspect that the intent of the strip mine sequence concerned the re-sodding of the ground, not the operation of the strip mine.
The central message of the commercial is that many of the environmental advances of the future will require large amounts of capital and massive engineering operations. This, I think, is a solid point. Some of the advocates of environmental progress have mixed in a second political agenda involving opposition to capitalism and/or large corporations. This worries me; it’s harder to achieve something when your resources are divided among multiple objectives.
“This, I think, is a solid point. Some of the advocates of environmental progress have mixed in a second political agenda involving opposition to capitalism and/or large corporations. ”
I believe it’s also time someone Noted, that while we concern ourselves with making our own factories/manufacturing and all facets of our lives “greener”That Our Country is giving third world status to countries like China who then by definition do Not have to abide by the law for environmental protections in order for us to import their products.
Here is one link;
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/11/business/worldbusiness/11chinacoal.html?pagewanted=all
that deals only with the coal issue, and not about issues such as “heavy earth” which because of it’s toxic production environment, few countries if any other than china still product it.
http://www.resourceinvestor.com/News/2009/8/Pages/Heavy-rare-earth-elements-and-the-future-of-hightech-mfg-in-the-US.aspx
And the plot thickens…
http://www.chinamining.org/Policies/2011-05-20/1305855554d45660.html
Here is the un’s third world definitions:
http://archive.unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/uu25ee/uu25ee0j.htm
So you see, as long as America will *need* these products, China will continue with it’s status as a 3rd world country and there-by dumping more pollutants into the environment than the US can in a Decade.
~elaine
“It’s easier to do big things when you’re bigger”
I hear this thinking in the church arena too. Whereas the vast majority of congregations in the US are small, between 75-150 (with the upper limit being the Dunbar #, interestingly) the mega-church mantra seems to be that we can accomplish big things, big social projects, because we’re big.
There may be some truth to this, but real relationships still happen at the one-to-one level, person-to-person. And while technology has flattened the world so that we can ‘chat’ all over the world, we still chat in small groups or tribes. Community still happens in small groups. Megachurches still break down their ministries into small, relationship-based groups.
Combine this with the ‘lateral thinking’ that Rifkin is talking about, and a new model emerges. I find more hope in smaller ideas that multiply, than big ideas that trickle down. The forest isn’t one big tree. The prairie isn’t one large blade of grass. And corporations aren’t one massive giant.
This ‘giant’ who steps in and solves big problems is counterproductive thinking when some of the low-hanging fruit for healing our planet must be picked by individuals. We all must conserve more and consume less. Many little footprints add up to one ‘giant’ footprint and we can’t count on the CEO’s to direct the giant in a way that benefits the planet. Sure would be nice, but I for one don’t think we can wait around that long. The more people wake up to climate reality, the more empowered they become to change at home first, the closer we get to a climate solution for everyone.
“This ‘giant’ who steps in and solves big problems is counterproductive thinking…”
I don’t think it’s counterproductive. Big corporations aren’t immoral; they’re amoral. Like sharks, they just follow the scent of profit in the water. Wave some profit under their noses and they’re your slaves. The only trick is to get the economy offering profits in the right direction. One really simple way to do this is with Pigovian taxes. Put a tax on carbon and suddenly power companies will ditch coal like… like… like a lump of coal.
I’ll believe carbon taxes (in the US) when I see ’em. That is, I don’t think that’s a real option by the way our gov’t seems to have abandoned its role as moral compass for the masses. You’re assuming the gov’t is capable of making such policy into reality and enforcing it. The next regime may neuter the EPA and where will that leave us?
No, if it is to be it’s up to me. We must be the change we want to see and not wait for government to take on the giants. Greenpeace seems to be making progress in influencing corporations such as Lego and Mattel through letter campaigns, awareness raising – influencing purchases by consumers who care enough to stop buying Barbie or Hot Wheels until the packaging is sustainable. Now Mattel is working with the Forest Stewardship Council to sustainably source its packaging. We did that. I signed that petition. They changed.
Did I go to a rally, or camp out in a public square? No, I sat right where I am sitting now, at this computer. It’d be real nice if somebody in Washington would wake up, grow a pair, and do what’s needed to save our world, but I ain’t holdin my breath. Every pea I plant in the garden is one less bag of frozen peas I buy from the Jolly Green Giant. Every person I teach to go and do likewise is one less purchase. That’s fewer food miles traveled for me to the store and the produce to the store.
I certainly agree that the US government is pretty well hopeless when it comes to addressing the problems of the day, and I applaud your own personal efforts to address the matter yourself. I myself am too much the Pollyanna to give up on the political system.
One small, somewhat divergent point regarding this comment:
“our gov’t seems to have abandoned its role as moral compass for the masses.”
That’s backwards. This is a democracy. The people set the values and the government implements those values within the Constitution.
I guess different people have different associations with colors. Green & fuzzy is what the bread looks like when it’s time to discard it.
Green is also the color of money. It’s the color of spring. And it’s also the color of the Green Knight, the Green Giant, and numerous superheroes (as Peter pointed out). Are you on some sort of anti-color campaign? You got something against blue? How about pink? Purple? Brown is the color of feces… and let’s not forget red, the color of communism and matador’s capes?
Let’s git ’em!