A Green Idea
EMOTIONAL DIRECTION:
Since returning from Vietnam in 2013, this is the first time I have felt an internal pull to do something outside of teaching English as a Second/Foreign language or cross-cultural communication. I’ve been feeling it starting around the end of December 2019/January 2020. The idea would be to create a website/on-line presence that would provide inspiration to those aspiring to live “greener”, more environmentally-friendly ways by focusing on seemingly small individual actions, taken individually. In addition to inspiration, the website/on-line presence would help people by providing them with tips and products/services to help accomplish the mission.
Here are some strategic advantages, in the context of my life, that might work together to create a workable, private sector-funded project/program that aligns with common values:
- Small groups of friends – both US and Korean born – who are environmentally-conscious, and able to make changes in our lives step-by-step.
- Location in the Seattle area, where environmental concerns are common
- Local environmental activist networks, and possibility to network with people through it
- Experience with working on a team to create a popular and useful website
- My willingness to work hard without immediate return
- Personal story (degree, first job after the degree, international experience, activism, burn-out after the Bolsanaro’s election in Brazil)
- The discussions between Lisa & Christopher over the years regarding on-line marketing, social media, websites, videos and getting together a list of people – discussions which seem very useful, but not particularly suitable for current English-learning website (low-low English level, income reasons, many languages expensive to market to).
RESEARCH PROJECT
In the research phase, consider relevant possibilities along multiple aspects:
1. Selling on-line only & Link back to local citizen-customers
Don’t ignore the possibility of linking back specifically with local citizen-consumers:
- Seattle Zero-waste stores
- Ventures, selling at Pike Place Market (flexibility for # of days/week or year?)
2. Environmental issues (Where the environment interfaces with citizen customers):
- Home energy use
- Transportation
- Waste reduction, including plastics
- Products
- Water usage
- Home maintenance
- Home remodeling
- Yard & garden
- Individual workplace
3. Environmental/Emotional impact points (News attention grabbers)
- Ocean plastic, with impact on birds, turtles and mammals/birds/reptiles
- Fires & droughts
- Storms and floods
- Local water pollution
- Local air pollution
- Melt-downs, Incidents & Accidents
- Toxins in toys for kids
- Toxins in pet food
- Toxins in human food
RESEARCH WOULD COVER:
1. Determining “key words” to find out about searches and existing websites
2. Finding Existing “Competitor” Websites (Involving consumers, information and products)
3. Judging websites along standard criteria
4. Identify strategic advantages compared to existing offerings, and
IN-PERSON RESEARCH:
- A trip to the “Zero-waste store” in Seattle, or similar business
- A trip to Pike’s Place Market, or similar venue
- Other
CRITERIA for ANALYZING WEBSITES MIGHT INCLUDE
- Thinking globally
- Acting locally
- Environmental interfaces covered
- Types of products sold
- Ways in which products are sold
- Organization of site
- Other criteria may be added as we go
Practical Concern/Pitfall #1: Scope Creep –
Defining the scope so that projects are able to be completed.
Allowing for controlled expansion of scope without losing focus
Practical Concern/Pitfall #2: Competition – Other sites might already be doing something like this
Concerns #1 and #2 can be addressed through research
Practical Concern/Pitfall #3: “Secular Puritanism” or Tribal Moralism
example: vegan movement
Some movements are going generally in the right direction. However, moral tribalism and its rhetoric may dissuade our fellow humans from making changes they might otherwise make, if viewed in a less extreme way.
Website and related marketing must steer-clear of such associations. It might even be good to identify a website/facebook page that clearly illustrates what not to do.
Practical Concern/Pitfall #4: Social Issues: Personal responsibility vs. Activism
Address through “market segmentation”. Which segment of the environmentally-concerned people are we marketing to?
Not all activist circles should be assumed to be good places to network.
It might even be good to identify a website/facebook page that clearly illustrates what not to do.
Is the research project worth doing?
(Sunday) 1/12 – Informal yes from Lisa.
After research begins, the following need to be decided:
- In-person training needed, initially, RE: key words? (by Lisa to Christopher)
- Good ways to find relevant websites
- Good ways to find counterexamples of on-line marketing to avoid (See pitfalls 3 and 4, above)
- How to decide which websites are relevant
- Criteria for evaluating and comparing websites
List of potentially relevant websites, by type of category
Note: Enter in each website under as many categories as appropriate
1 – Sites organized by product/service types:
2 – Sites organized by issue/emotional pressure point:
3 – Sites organized by specific subculture or demographic segment:
4 – Sites organized by criteria to be determined:
5 – Sites organized by geographic scope orientation:
~ Organize by a total of no more than 7-8 Website Category Criteria ~
Note: Enter in each website under as many categories as appropriate
1 – Sites organized by product/service types:
Consumer Products:
Housing:
2 – Sites organized by issue/emotional pressure point:
3 – Sites organized by specific subculture or demographic segment:
4 – Sites organized by criteria to be determined:
5 – Sites organized by geographic scope orientation:
US-oriented:
In Seattle City Limits:
Eco-Collective Seattle’s First Zero-Waste Store
Susan’s Green Cleaning (advertised on KUOW 1-24-2020)
Footnotes for Implementation:
Make video: The hoxes of history