I had to reproduce this quote from an article in the NY Times titled:

“Warning Habits May Be Good for You”. It discusses how a scientist teamed up with several mega-corporations to figure out how to instill the positive habit of handwashing with soap to reduce infections. So the scentist decided she should ask them how to create effective campaigns, as the public health campaigns weren’t effective. She then utilized their techniques and saw huge improvement in the using soap habit! The quote below is from a corporate employee discussing their approach to selling. Please read this and see if you get the problem.

“For most of our history, we’ve sold newer and better products for habits that already existed,” said Dr. Berning, the P(rocter)& G(amble) psychologist. “But about a decade ago, we realized we needed to create new products. So we began thinking about how to create habits for products that had never existed before.”

Ok so I bolded it for you! The article never asks (as it wasn’t the point)-but yet so obvious-why did “we” need to create new products? And in doing so train millions of people to purchase and use products for which they had no need! Think of the implications-the money spent on products that are unnecessary, the packaging materials, the disposal, the pollution. Yes jobs were created-but could other more positive jobs have been done? Yes. Could money have been spent in more helpful, caring ways? Yes. This is what Ecoradish, my website is about. Think before you spend.

Check out this article from Advertising Age:

Trying to Make Green the New Black

Bringing Environmental Activism to a New Audience

Posted by Karl Carter on 05.09.08 @ 01:42 PM

Karl Carter

Sometimes you have to live a little life to give voice to the journey. I’ve been gone a while, going through life’s adventures — some professional, some personal, some good, some hard. All in all its been a mixed bag but never dull. An experience I had in Memphis at the Dream Reborn conference really inspired me to write about people of color’s role in the emerging green movement.

My new web site Ecoradish.com, is live and I’ve started promoting it. Can you help???
email: info@ecoradish.com

Hi all,
And I’m asking for your support, ideas, contacts etc. Ok, I had my yoga site up and it was all about me, and workshops I can teach, but frankly I wasn’t very excited about it; it did not capture all of my interests or sense of mission. So I changed the name to Ecoradish.com*-and the focus is now on empowering African Americans (primarily) with the urgency, information and support to go “green.” Ok so you may be saying— I’m not black-what does she want from me?? Well keep reading….

The emphasis will be our heritage of frugality and how that is a positive in todays climate (no pun intended) and how growing food, choosing renewable energy, and simplicity- can have a huge positive impact. There have been so many articles lately see today’s NY Times (Sun. 5/18) on

“Chasing Utopia, Family Imagines No Possession.“

But a lot of the info doesn’t mention anyone of color, though recently, same publication on “Urban Gardeners” (see below) was a great exception.
So I hope to provide for my right livelihood while filling a niche and providing a service.
What am I asking for?

1. Well visit the site- www.ecoradish.com
2. See below 4 areas of site (that have no info yet) -can you contribute to any of them or can you connect me to someone who has info or might be interested?

a) Grandma’s Corner: little tips, on ways that folks used to conserve. Some of them may be funny now, or seem extreme– but can add up to save us money.

b)Eco Experts: where a professional discusses issues to do with saving money by saving energy, conservation is the first step; info on solar alternatives, healthy food choices (cheaper in the long run,) health tips, growing food etc.

c)EcoSimple: interviews with ordinary folks on ways they have achieved energy/cost savings in ways that enhance their well-being.

d) EcoRegional Summary: An updated listing of events in various parts of US & Canada.

Thanks and many blessings,

*”Ecoblack” was gone, “brown, black, green” gone, “Ecoroots,” “Ecogroove” gone…so in a burst of frustration and insight came forth-Ecoradish! Dont’ ask, you didn’t know what Google was at first did ya?

As an African-American, I became aware that while there’s lots of info on “going green” out there in the media, much of it doesn’t seem to speak to people of color. Nor do we seem to be engaging as much as may be needed; or more likely coverage isn’t getting out there on our efforts. It’s not that we don’t see it and hear about: global warming, climate change, escalating fuel/oil/petrolium prices, deforestation, food shortages etc. etc…. We do-but here is a place, a communtiy where ideas and helpful information can be shared for the benefit of primarily the urban and suburban black community. Above is from my brand new website which is still under construction and then I happened upon this wonderful article in the NY Times today and it highlights exactly what my blog and new website Ecoradish.com are all about.

Urban Farmers’ Crops Go From Vacant Lot to

Market

By TRACIE McMILLAN