Fighting In The Streets With Greenpeace?

by Amy O'Malley, Good And Green® Project Manager

If you ask me, Boulder is one the most diverse, awe-inspiring, landscape- challenging and engaging places--which makes it a fitting backdrop and home to the topic and conference of LOHAS. From day one of this amazing conference (which was held June 17-19), my head was cracked open like a coconut by speakers who challenged my everyday thinking and perception. But, it was through speakers like Hunter Lovins, who asked “Are you living a life of health and sustainability or a life of horseshit and self righteousness?” (she is a “no BS” kinda woman!), National Geographic’s Wade Davis and author John Marshall Roberts (his book Igniting Inspiration is well…an inspiration) that not only changed the way I thought about green tactics, but challenged my perception of how honest is our honesty… And, as I sat in the highly air conditioned building surrounded my hundreds of light bulbs, I had to ask myself, “how honest is my own honesty?”

When John Marshall Roberts took the stage he truly ignited my inspiration. He took me through a journey of the history of language, how we began communicating and the importance of understanding today’s consumer barriers. You know how you get when you feel completely passionate about something? Every time you see your friends, you greet them in a whirlwind of conviction—spilling your guts and glory only to be met by blank stares, sighs of “not again” and people never returning from the restroom. His advice: 1) Understand that the world doesn’t always share your level of enthusiasm and 2) Listen to the objections around you, hear beyond the words to understand the barriers. If you want to inspire change you need to understand what the barriers truly are.

It wasn’t long after the conference that I found myself face to face with someone who obviously had never heard John’s advice for igniting inspiration and thus led me to get into a fight in the streets of Boulder with Greenpeace. Yes, Greenpeace.

My one extra day in Boulder found me walking in the rain around the cobblestone walkways that are filled with shops, good food, boutiques and art. As I decided to enjoy the unexpected rain as part of my day of shopping and wandering I started to feel something was amiss—like I was being watched! I thought to myself, “Hmmm, every time I come out of a shop I see these two men in green and even though I go inside and they do not, they are still at my speed. What gives?” As I stepped out from an art gallery and into the rain—which was now coming down a bit harder than before—I looked up at the sky, shrug my shoulders and turned my scarf into a shawl. As soon as I looked back down I was approached by one of the suspicious “men in green.” Approaching as if we were old friends, but as I was soon to find out, not only was I being stalked…but I was prey! “I see you are a lover of the environment because you are out enjoying the rain,” he called. Again—honest about my honesty—uh, no. I was far from my hotel, unprepared and shivering cold. Nice pick up line.

He then went on to ask me if I loved the environment and was I aware that it was in danger. “Yes,” I replied with an “oh, no” stare that I have gotten myself so many times before. As he took off his backpack and revealed the logo on the side of his shirt, he announced he is from Greenpeace and began to bombard me with questions. Was I aware of the whales dying? Did I know such & such of brand was killing the forests? And that Greenpeace was in the trenches fighting for us and we must teach these companies a lesson? Honestly, the barrier was set before he even called out to me.

I responded, “Did you know that your such & such of brand has actually partnered with the Forestry Stewardship Council to produce their old line in a sustainable way? If we continue to single them out and just protest —instead of encouragement and offering solutions—do we really expect these companies to change? So I asked him “right here, right now, what is the ultimate result you want from this conversation?” It was then that I noticed the sopping wet clipboard he was carrying in hopes of getting me to not only hand over my personal information and make a donation to his cause, but join! “Sorry to disappoint you, but while I respect the commitment of Greenpeace, I need to visit the website and do a little more research before I hand over my personal information and give my name to a cause that’s accosting me in the middle of the rain soaked streets, on my day of peace in Boulder.” After spending 3 invigorating days of learning how to inspire others to change for a more sustainable world, can’t say I agreed with this business model

So while his goals were to educate, connect with me and get me to join the cause, he failed to accomplish any of them. There was no education because there was no conversation, this wasn’t exactly a meeting of two open minds exchanging ideas so there was no connection—just frustration and animosity as onlookers witnessed the sabotage I felt. Needless to say, I didn’t sign the soaking wet paper or give a donation as I with my little scarf and he in his raincoat were at a standstill.

“How can you expect to inspire change when you are filled with anger and biased information?” I asked as the scene continued leaving me to walk away thinking, “Did I really just come from 3 days of overall lessons on environmental leadership and communication only to get accosted by Greenpeace? Green. Peace.”

He really should have attended LOHAS… Go figure.