Thursday, February 01, 2007

Trouble in paradise?

I was once a star copywriter at an agency, responsible for the vast majority of the won pitches and work that went through. So when I felt things were not being run as well as they could, I felt secure in sharing my wisdom. Which is how I ended up founding my own agency. No one is indispensable.

Which is why I must envy someone who obviously is: You're wasteful hypocrites on being green, Paxman accuses BBC bosses

Maybe he has read my blog on some of the inconsistencies we have, are and doubtless will be seeing between what they say and what they do.

Like the Breakfast TV programme I currently watch as I write. Just saw a piece about a contest to become a space tourist (I don't think NASA has quite yet got the bio-fuel thing cracked yet). Ironically (to me at least, though I doubt they saw it themselves), this was followed immediately by a promo for a piece about a major Hollywood star who is going green, billed as 'saving the planet'.

I doubt they'll publish my comment: "I take it you have not read, taken on board (excuse the pun) or agree with, one of your colleague's views on the BBC's consistency of message as regards climate change and ways to mitigate it"

I merely observe, whilst being relieved I do not take it upon myself to impose:

From the Newsnight blog (and Indy):

"Imagine my surprise this morning opening my copy of The Times to read that my esteemed colleague Jeremy Paxman has offered a devastating critique of the BBC's failures to be Green enough, failures on recycling, failures to cut power consumption, failures to help save the planet.

Great stuff, I thought. Then imagine my surprise because in the BBC office Jeremy and I share with Kirsty and Emily, the computer and monitor (which we also share) were left switched on all night. The culprit? Hmmm. Who could it possibly be wasting all that electricity? Well, the last log-in that I could discover was "Paxmanj." Any ideas? "

Couldn't resist:

Though Mr. Esler refers it in the blog intro this afternoon, I'm guessing guessing Mr. Paxman wrote it yesterday, and this seems the only place to offer an opinion, if not answer, to his question:

The biter bit? Next thing we'll be hearing people are dropping folk in it for fines by leaving stuff with their names on in bins. Imagine if the nanny state figured that was enough to convict?

As a slight attempt to help JP in mitigation should he be 'guilty', there is the notion that some hi-tec PCs need continual updates. Another is that the hardware decay from shutting down and rebooting is actually worse eco-wise than spinning. I'm still deciding, but err on monitor and printer off, CPU on standby... for now.

It's all about being green. Not always black and white.

Still, it again proves a point I often try to make. One knocks, and the comeback is often a bigger 'two wrongs make a good knock' back. Doesn't help the planet much, though, does it?

BBC - How green is my Auntie?

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