A well-known author, journalist, and marketing consultant who focuses on marketing communication strategies for the printing industries and who often writes on sustainability in the textile industry, recently published an article about whether we’re really serious about saving the planet.
In the introduction she suggests that we’re not doing well in the attempt to meet the sustainability goals set for 2030. In fact, shes says that “It’s a little shocking and scary!” Interestingly, this is the same journalist that made a mess of an article on glitter as a microplastic by referencing ‘biodegradable’ glitter for cosmetic products in an article about glitter in textile applications.
By all accounts, it’s true that we’re not doing well in the sustainability drive. And perhaps it’s because we’re not getting people’s attention because we’re not phrasing the problem properly. What we should be saying is that it’s about saving ourselves, not the planet. The planet has been here through thick and thin for 4 1/2 billion years, we’ve only been here for the most recent 200,000 years. The planet is going nowhere. It’s us that’s at risk.
So, maybe if we stopped talking about saving the planet and instead talked about saving ourselves, it might be more effective. Likewise, maybe when we’re talking about sustainability in our industry, it should be in the context of saving our industry.
Language matters.