[sustran] Re: Sub Rosa Policy and Investment Message

[Todd Edelman]

Hi,

I agree that the messages etc sent out by the WBCSD should not be
automatically rejected, and that their newsletter on transport is actually
a good source of info, keeping in mind of course who are some of the major
backers of the project.

The high quality of the "look" of their materials, and the fact that it is
the automobile-industrial complex which dominates who is sending out the
sustainability-related messages, creates a "Green Trojan Horse" with all
sorts of bad results if accept this "gift".

(One line from that WBCSD article which obviously bothers me is 
"Everybody recognizes that mobility is an essential part of society."
Again, I think we - "everybody"! - is confusing mobility (moving) with
access (getting).)

Even the newsletter I mention gives them some more credibility, and
seemingly more objectivity. They clearly do not want to seem superficially
anti-public transport (and that makes them more dangerous - and I dont
think that is too strong a word.)

This relates to larger issue of corporate sponsorship of environmental
organisations and initiatives (going to look soon if New Mobility site has
a "Greenwash" page...). I think there needs to be some substantial
training in this area. For example, what I think is one common mistake is
that some environmental/sustainable transport groups think (or imply) that
if a company does something bad to one group of people in one part of the
world (country, etc) than it is somehow cancelled out by something good
the company does in another part of the world. Someone working for an
organisation in Central Europe actually called it "polluter pays"!...
confusing, I think, a tax scheme imposed by the government with a PR
scheme by a private company. Or they think it is polluter pays in a less
literal form.

Another thing a clever company will do is pay for some nice things in the
area surrounding a factory which makes cars (I have concrete examples from
the Czech Republic). This makes some environmentalists working on local
issues happy, BUT of course the cars are exported to places where there is
no civic group to pressure the company to do this or that. This really
offends me... and, after all, climate change doesnt recognize borders!
(but Czechia is well above sea level!)

- T


Eric Britton wrote:

> [Sub Rosa Policy and Investment Message 2:
>
> Here we go again. "The calm voice of reason from world transport leaders".
> Or so
> apparently it is. This piece appeared last summer and provides us with a
> second
> example of the kind of controlled dialogues for which we need to be on the
> look
> out.

------------------------------------------------------

Todd Edelman
Director
Green Idea Factory

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