Category: ‘Environmentalism’
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The Fourth Technological Revolution
Monday, December 3rd, 2007Gordon Brown’s first environment speech as prime minister sets some tough targets for the UK.
The current target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 60% may not be enough according to the latest climate change statistics. We may need to cut emissions by as much as 80% by 2050.
By then, the economy is projected to be 2.5 times bigger than it is today, but we’ll need to reduce CO2 emissions to less than half the current levels — somewhere between 155m and 310m tonnes.
At Bright Green, we like to think we’re a part of what Brown calls the ‘fourth technological revolution’ needed to build a low carbon economy.
If every outdoor media contractor starting replacing fluorescent tube displays with a Bright Green solid-state LED system, we’d take a giant step as an industry to help make the low carbon future a reality.
Brown says it will mean facing up to ‘hard choices’ and ‘tough decisions’. But in this case, the Bright Green switch pays for itself and increases quality. The hard choices are no doubt inevitable for us all. But why not start with some of the easy ones?
Bright Green Environmentalism
Tuesday, November 27th, 2007Our name isn’t just descriptive.
It also refers to an approach to environmentalism that we feel strongly about.
In a way, technology got us into the global warming mess - technology is our best hope for getting out of it.
From wikipedia:
The term bright green, first coined in 2003 by writer Alex Steffen, refers to a subcategory of environmentalism, distinct from traditional forms[1]. Bright green environmentalism aims for a society that relies on new technology and improved design to achieve gains in ecological sustainability without reducing (indeed, increasing) the potential for economic growth.[2] Its proponents tend to be particularly enthusiastic about green energy, hybrid automobiles, efficient manufacturing systems and bio and nanotechnologies, are supportive of dense urban settlements. “One-planet living” is a frequently heard buzz-phrase.[3][4]
Their ideas can be contrasted with what they consider traditional environmentalism: pessimistic, primitivist, unattractive, “dark green” ideas that depend on a reduction in human numbers or a relinquishment of technology to reduce its impact on the biosphere.
Others contrast “bright green” environmentalism with “lite green” environmentalism, which they characterize as superficial moves to buy or use products which claim to be environmentally preferable, but in fact offer limited sustainability benefits. Many environmentalists of all stripes use “light” or “lite” green to describe products or practices they believe are greenwashing.
