It seems that recycling and separating your trash at home has taken a whole different meaning from not so long ago until now. Sure, I remember when we were kids, at school they would teach us how to recycle; they would make us draw possible logos to save water (yeah, even then I had a tooth for marketing). Of course at the time you would get excited because of the activity’s dynamism and well, your family would only throw “yay’s” in the air just to make you think they actually knew what you were talking about. Indeed, I’m talking about things that happened 15 years ago or so.
Just now has it taken a real, profound meaning on what it is to be “eco-friendly”. Of course, for many it is only a Social Responsibility campaign enterprises might take onto just to be socially accepted. But going deeper, there are larger movements, organizations and even former politicians joining in.
In a few days, “Earth Hour” will once again break record on the biggest globally social movement in history. Turning off all your power for an hour (from 830pm to 930pm local time on March 26th). But what happens after that hour? They ask. People will still use their cars to go to work, their super power pulling fridges and so on. And so to keep the spirit going not just for 60 minutes, they are inviting people to do at least something small, because all together, well, it adds up. http://mashable.com/2011/03/16/earth-hour-social-media-push/ And well, what better way to do that by linking the whole world’s population but social networks?
On a more political scope, it’s kind of ironic that being the US one of the few countries that has not signed the Kyoto Agreement, former Vice President Al Gore is trying to turn things around in American ideology. In fact, in just a few days, he’ll be inaugurating an “Eco Friendly” Symposium here in Guadalajara at Tec de Monterrey. (Check on the article… it’s in Spanish by the way http://www.3ersector.org.mx/sitio/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2306:inaugurara-al-gore-congreso-en-el-tecnologico-de-monterrey-campus-guadalajara&catid=2:2010&Itemid=5 ) And here are some of the things he’s been working on lately http://www.algore.com/about.html
Even the documentary field has been taken upon with this subject. As I mention on a different post “Zeitgeist” tries to change things that aren’t working so well in our world into more efficient lifestyles for both the planet and society at large. On the last movie in the trilogy, ecological standards are pulled under the scope and logical, very doable solutions are proposed.
Ecology is no longer just a subject you had to pass in elementary school. It’s THE trend at this moment. Let’s just hope it’s not a fad and it becomes finally into the global lifestyle for good.