In defense of screw earth day

Treehugger lacks sense of humor? 5

When you “crap all over Earth Day,” you can expect some angry barbs in return. Case in point is Lloyd Alter’s post over at TreeHugger.com about Grist’s “Screw Earth Day” campaign, which we found to be a fair and thoughtful rejoinder.

SEDBut we think Alter missed the point. Yeah, Grist is cynical about Earth Day—along with lots of other people who work for environmental organizations or cover the environment for a news organization. The “Screw Earth Day” campaign isn’t about crapping on April 22. It’s exactly the opposite: We’re hoping to drive a little more attention to Earth Day AND get across the more important point that taking steps to help the environment is a 365-days-a-year job.

The Earth Day message, frankly, isn’t getting through enough. It’s just part of the background noise in a culture organized around one “special day” after another (National Siblings Day was April 10, did you remember?).

Earth Day turns 39 next week. And like all middle-agers, it’s putting on a little weight around the middle and graying at the temples. It’s time for Earth Day to embrace its midlife crisis, throw caution to the wind, buy that sports car (a Tesla, of course) and start dating younger people, and throw in some plastic surgery too.

“Screw Earth Day” is Grist’s way of saying “This is no time to get wobbly,” and pretending to be green one day every year is just that—wobbly.

As our Earth Day tagline says, go green every day, because one day is for amateurs. And don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself along the way.

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  1. ret0dd's avatar

    ret0dd Posted 2:46 pm
    14 Apr 2009

    I get the sentiment, but the attitude might be a bit (I hate myself for using this word) elitist, and that may alienate people rather than encourage them to get involved.  (Kind of like all those pretentious hipsters a few years ago who had me hating the Decembrists before I'd even heard them).No one thinks that Earth Day is an excuse to be good one day and a polluting ass the next, any more than people think it's OK to shit on black people every month but February.Just sayin.  Love you guys, but gotta disagree on this one. 

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  2. t jones Posted 4:14 pm
    14 Apr 2009

    "...and pretending to be green one day every year is just that - pretending.  here, at grist, we prefer to pretend all year long. 
    we're not scientists; we're actually turned on by authority and forcing others to submit to our will."
    --  grist.org

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  3. Biodiversivist's avatar

    Biodiversivist Posted 6:12 pm
    14 Apr 2009

    Yes, well. Lloyd also took exception in a Huffington Post article last summer to a post I did titled "Cabins are not ‘earth-friendly’." Having one that is about the same size as my two story home for four here in Seattle, he thinks they are just fine. Everyone should run out in the woods and build one.http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2008-07-19-dorsetcabin.jpg

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  4. lloydalter Posted 8:25 pm
    14 Apr 2009

    Well I think it is all part of the interchange of ideas and promoting sites we like to talk about each others posts. And Biodiversivist, I apologise if I offended you.

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    1. Biodiversivist's avatar

      Biodiversivist Posted 9:06 pm
      14 Apr 2009

      No offense was taken, Lloyd, then or now. The interchange of ideas is what it's all about. Feel free to critique my stuff any time you see fit.I have not figured out yet how to find a post on the new Grist once it leaves the front page. This article for example, where is it now hiding?

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