Last week, I saw one of the obnoxious Rochester-based mobile billboard trucks plying the East End. These trucks, which I believe are diesel, carry nothing but a big sign, and they drive around town all day.
This day, I noticed that the ad on the back of this particular mobile billboard truck had something to do with preventing asthma.
What do you think of this? Is it just shockingly hypocritical? Or is it better to have the trucks that chug around town doing nothing but trying to sell you something try to sell you some important awareness or inform and inspire you to a good cause?
This whole experience reminded me of a favorite campaign of mine: Breast Cancer Action’s Think Before You Pink. This campaign sheds light on breast cancer promotions and fundraisers derived by companies that make or produce substances that have been linked to the disease. BCA has exposed several of these “pinkwashers,” including yogurt, vacuum cleaner, and automobile companies.
The “pinkwashers,” “greenwashers”, and other washers are out there in force, looking to capitalize on genuine concern. It is up to us to know them when we see them, and call them for what they really are. This requires research and scrutiny, which takes time and effort, for sure. But in taking such time, you’re honoring your own–and all the others’–efforts to make a real difference in the quest for ecology and humanity.