for months (approximately, seemingly), cnn has been promoting their special feature “planet in peril.” as one might guess, it details the effects of globalization, deforestation and other unnatural “ations” that humankind imposes on earth. i already take global warming very seriously, thus i’m well aware of why it’s happening. so despite the fact that i knew the special would probably be depressing, the masochist inside me was looking forward to it. that was until i watched more closely and realized all of cnn’s efforts seem to clash with their actions.
two nights ago on the colbert report, stephen colbert pointed out the first major discrepancy between cnn’s apparent mission and their promotional efforts. featured in every copy of usa today that day was a two-sided, full color, glossy poster complete with its own calendar (to countdown to the day the earth can’t tolerate us anymore, perhaps?), information about the three hosts (all male), and a pretty graphic on the opposite side. maybe i just think about this sort of thing too much, but doesn’t that seem a wee-bit wasteful? i don’t even want to think about where they got the paper for said posters.
granted, cnn probably did not produce this promotional piece in house. they did, however, choose their marketing agency. and, clearly, someone at that marketing agency lacks some major foresight – or common sense for that matter. just as the “live earth” concert had an ecological footprint contradictory to its mission, this poster serves as a missed opportunity to do something clever, and more importantly, environmentally sound. guerrilla tactics are often more cost-effective and are capable of producing real results. in this case, i think i would have been less turned-off had the poster been printed on 100% recycled paper. is a poster really necessary though? surely something else could have been just as effective.
sadly, my disappointment didn’t end with the poster. i admit that curiosity got the best of me, and i had to see what the hype was all about. the reporting was good, and i think it’s great that cnn is giving attention to something newsworthy. i suppose, however, that hype = advertising revenue. unfortunately, the ad space was dominated by fuel companies, car companies, and the coal industry. yes, the coal industry. most of these commercials featured what each advertiser is supposedly doing to green up their act. we all know that better alternatives are already available. so if these companies were truly doing their part, they wouldn’t exist – at least not with the same business models. i’m not surprised by the advertisers’ motives. they make their disregard for the environment clear on a daily basis. i suppose the sad reality is that real “green” companies don’t have the advertising dollars to buy such primo ad space. but the saddest reality is that cnn let it happen.
personally, i believe the preservation (and hopefully restoration) of the environment is crucial. there’s not any room for error when so many powerful people are capable of denying the effects of global warming. special attention must be given to every detail to leave the opposition without ammunition. otherwise, the real activists will continue facing an uphill battle, and that hill is becoming harder to climb every day.
