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Often accused of doing just about anything to preserve the planet long before going green hit the mainstream radar, Kim Carlson is an eco-chic lifestyle expert, eco-savvy entrepreneur, and green business author. Carlson practices what she preaches. (Except she doesn’t really preach, she enthuses.) As the “EarthSmart Consumer” on television, host of the national radio program, “Livin’ The Green Life” and the regular guest writer for many blogs and national magazines, Carlson educates the public on the pleasures of a planet-friendly lifestyle. Read more about Kim Carlson.
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Polar Bear Hate Mail?
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A couple of weeks ago it was a polar bear story that created an online uprising with cruel and biting comments about bear rugs and worse. Today, the story that climate change is killing people and causing billions of dollars in damage is causing another onslaught of anti everything green comments and even some bleeped out language from readers.
I am not a big fan of using the polar bear to tug on heartstrings in an effort to make people aware of environmental issues. It does seem a bit exploitive and sensationalistic to me. And granted, Kofi Annan’s report could have been biased or flawed in its climate change statistics or conclusions. I don’t know. But why do green stories elicit such a angry response from a handful of the same readers each time?
Maybe green jobs are the solution! Busy hands are happy hands (and don’t have time to leave anonymous nasty bomb comments on every green story line.)
I believe that the root of these negative sentiments is that some people can’t cope with change. Our world is changing and some simply can’t deal with it. They are part of a dwindling group of people who are on the brown end of the green behavior spectrum and they are very vocal because they have to be. They are dwindling in numbers and have lost support as people have been waking up to the serious environmental pickle that we have gotten ourselves in. The fact that the planet’s population is moving towards sustainability culturally, economically, and spiritually is threatening to them. The blog comments are the only way that they can make their voices heard. It almost makes me feel bad for them… but for pete's sake, leave the polar bears alone!
I am not a big fan of using the polar bear to tug on heartstrings in an effort to make people aware of environmental issues. It does seem a bit exploitive and sensationalistic to me. And granted, Kofi Annan’s report could have been biased or flawed in its climate change statistics or conclusions. I don’t know. But why do green stories elicit such a angry response from a handful of the same readers each time?
Maybe green jobs are the solution! Busy hands are happy hands (and don’t have time to leave anonymous nasty bomb comments on every green story line.)
I believe that the root of these negative sentiments is that some people can’t cope with change. Our world is changing and some simply can’t deal with it. They are part of a dwindling group of people who are on the brown end of the green behavior spectrum and they are very vocal because they have to be. They are dwindling in numbers and have lost support as people have been waking up to the serious environmental pickle that we have gotten ourselves in. The fact that the planet’s population is moving towards sustainability culturally, economically, and spiritually is threatening to them. The blog comments are the only way that they can make their voices heard. It almost makes me feel bad for them… but for pete's sake, leave the polar bears alone!
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