Observation Report One
“It’s not easy being Green”- Kermit the Frog
1. GreenBiz.com
http://www.greenbiz.com/
This website is a direct representation of how new media and networking has been able to effect the productiveness of the Green Movement. Upon entering the site, users are presented with a Home page that focuses on the “top Green stories” according to the editor and a NEWSWIRE list with headlines linking to other pages. Further, there are several more sections of the homepage that cater to this audiences interests such as “GREENBIZ.COM CAREER CENTER”, “WALMART SUSTAINABILITY INDEX”, “UPCOMING EVENTS” and “SPONSORED LINKS”. This homepage is a great representation of Web 2.0 technology and how the internet is bringing our interests to us—it alone represents the utopian discourse of technological determinism. If technological determinism is the theory that technology has the ability to drive society and cultural values, then this website represents a developmental link that could possibly be inherent to the Green Movement. This homepage presents an accumulation of resources for a community interested in the specific realm of Green Business and sustainability, it has created a porthole solely for the information they are interested in. As a result of this site and of Green information being infinitely more accessible to those interested in furthering the cause, it is likely that the Green movement has been able to be sustained and progressed. GreenBiz.com uses the utopian features of determinism to present popular or new media to this precise group.
2. Green Inc. (blog on NYTimes.com)
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/
This blog, powered by The New York Times online, updates multiple times a day about the Green Movement in relationship to business. Business owners and entrepreneurs can come to this trusted blog to catch up on “hot topics” as far as sustainable business practices and news. This site is specifically aimed at the “bottom-line” oriented group of Green activists. The “About Green Inc.” description reads “How will the pressures of climate change, limited fossil fuel resources and the mainstreaming of ‘green’ consciousness reshape society? Follow the money,” to pull in profit centered CEOs and business heads. While the “About” section of the site recognizes that the mainstreaming of Green may have the ability to reshape society, the blog itself portrays how new media will have the ability to sustain the Green movement. Green Inc. is a great example of a new media outlet that has brought together Green and business to help further awareness and action. Assuming that this blog has a large following, (which for The New York Times to keep it on their site we can bet it does) it has probably influenced numerous corporate society members that Green is a worthwhile cause. This is another utopian representation of technological determinism where a new media outlet has influenced the concerns and concentrations of society.
3. Centre for Sustainable Fashion
http://centreforsustainablefashion.wordpress.com/
The Centre for Sustainable Fashion’s blog is a perfect example of New Media in sustainable design. This blog was created for, and used to communicate to the world about the green movement in fashion. Whether it is making green designs more available through advertising, explaining the benefits of green fashion through a blog, or showcasing a green designer in a promotion, this blog gets the information about how to lead a more sustainable lifestyle out to the masses. Without this blog, these people wouldn’t have their vehicle to show their cause to the world or spread their message about green design.
4. Fashion Conscious
http://sustainablefashion.blogspot.com/
The Fashion Conscious blog focuses more on in depth fabric production and the green possibilities within that field. With new technologies in textile design, more fabrics can be made from environmentally sustainable materials. The blog discusses how these are not the typical burlap sacs that used to be considered sustainable, but attractive prints, textures, and styles. This blog reaches out to textile professionals, displaying the benefits and selling points of sustainable textiles in hope that they will consider them for their next textile purchase. This blog sells sustainable textiles to the people who will in turn use it to produce goods that the every day consumer will buy, and this blog is a very helpful tool in the textile industry to promote knowledge about sustainable products.
5. Tree Hugger
http://www.treehugger.com/gogreen.php
This website breaks down the everyday life of “going green” and how to make almost every thing you do environmentally friendly. It uses videos, blogs and online articles to help readers convert their everyday lives to focus more on Mother Nature. It really reaches out to the every day person to help them know how they can help and participate in the green movement. It uses different models of technology (videos, blogs, articles, etc.) to inform readers and to persuade them to help and join the green movement.
6. Green Science Online Blog
http://greenscienceonline.com/wordpress/
This blog is an in depth look at how we can take the green movement and analyze it scientifically. It examines everything from energy efficient light bulbs and what they are really saving to the large-scale production of biofuels from corn and other crops and whether it will help or hurt people and the environment. It looks at everything from a very scientific point of view, incorporating biology, chemistry, physics and all of the hard sciences to help convince readers to participate in the green movement by using data, research and facts. This blog is a great example of how scientists are using more and more “new media” to help their causes and to share their research. Blogs have made it easy for people to communicate what is going on in their labs faster so that more efficient research can be done on things such as the environment, global warming, and other “green” topics. Each blog urges the readers to “stop all the name-calling and anger, and get to work” because we cannot solve all of our problems unless we work together.
Each of these websites examines the green movement from a different point of view. Some look at it from a business point of view while others look at it from a fashion stance. Still other articles take the green movement from a basic scientific stance. All of the websites and blogs promote the green movement and use modern technology and new media to help gain support and help towards protecting the environment.
emilymollychristina
ckni27
mcasto5
ewallace2
2 comments
Comments feed for this article
October 7, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Deb
Emily, you wrote: “If technological determinism is the theory that technology has the ability to drive society and cultural values, then this website represents a developmental link that could possibly be inherent to the Green Movement.” I’m concerned that this statement in itself is utopian and technologically deterministic. It assumes that having the website will make people become more environmentally friendly. I disagree as other factors need to motivate people to even get to the website in the first place. As you described, the site is really for those who are already interested in the cause. It can be used to help them get more information, but I think a lot more needs to be done to change societal values on the Green issue.
October 7, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Deb
Overall, this is a good showcase of how Web 2.0 is being used to support and promote the green movement. Clearly, looking at how robust their blogs are, the producers of these blogs believe in the ability of new media to further their cause. Do you know how successful these blogs are in getting people to go green? The active treehugger forums suggest they have a strong following with people sharing green ideas and tips. Would be interesting to go in and see what people are talking about.