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Earth Hour is a Joke. ~ Gwen Bell
by elephantjournal.com on Mar 29, 2009
Earth Hour. Like Earth Day, But Shorter! Fit One into Your Busy Schedule Today!
via Gwen Bell (update: read her followup to the below here)
Right now “Earth Hour” is a trending topic on Twitter.
My response, when I saw it earlier today: ”Our attention spans are so short now we’ve traded in Earth Day for Earth Hour?!”
Really?
Several people responded to me, telling me that it’s a supplement to Earth Day. And I applaud the sentiment. Still, I don’t think that what the Earth needs from us is one hour. I think the Earth needs us to rethink our habitual patterns. The Earth doesn’t need another pat internet meme, that much is for sure. We all turn off our lights for an hour tomorrow night and “give her a rest” so we feel better about ourselves—and convince ourselves we’re doing our part to stop global destruction.
But of course big businesses and pretty stars alike are getting in on the fun. It makes us feel like part of the solution. I live in Boulder, Colorado, and we have a strong activist community, and we’re not even doing enough here. Earth Hour is a joke. The fact that people are saying they are “getting ready for Earth Hour,” is a bigger joke. Preparing to read by candlelight for an hour tomorrow night? “Your light switch is your vote,” goes the video.
I get the part where people will flame me in the comments saying that “every little bit counts,” but I’m going to counter that if you want to do your part you will use Earth Hour to sit, meditate and consider your daily impact on the Earth. You will contemplate ways to change your behaviors for good.
The Earth doesn’t care whether or not you turn your lights off tomorrow night. But it might appreciate you taking a moment to reflect on ways to change your habitual patterns for the better, for good.
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Amen! Welcome to bite sized America.
Well, yeah. If people just turn out their lights for an hour and consider it their "good deed" for Mother Earth for the year and go back to lives as usual, then they are missing the point. Yes, every little bit does count, but to me, it's not so much about the energy that is being conserved in that one hour as it as the spirit of the message that is being spread. I'm a glass half full type, though. I think it's great when big business and celebs get behind the green movement. I don't give a damn if it makes it trendy. Trendy means popular, and the earth can use a little popularity on it's side these days. And, sure, there very well may be a lot of people who don't give much more thought to helping the planet past that one hour of darkness, but even if just one out of a thousand people is inspired to get more involved, do more and spread the word, isn't that worth it? Earth Hour isn't taking away from Earth Day. Let's be honest, Earth Day hasn't really ever been a popular and celebrated holiday. So if a little PR and celebrity buzz helps spread the idea that we should all start taking some *small* steps to make this place better, I say bravo.
You shouldn't have written the line about flaming and "every little bit counts" because now I have nothing to say
I agree with you of course, and I take pride in doing my part for our earth in the few ways I can in my quiet litte way, but what I like about Earth Hour is not the direct environmental impact, but that fact that it is a very social way to commune over something. It is like that red ribbon people wear to support the fight against aids, or a "support our troops sign". It is a public display of community, and that in itself is vital!
I'm looking forward to seeing how many of my neighbours will go dark tomorrow, I hope they all will join in, and then continue to recycle, buy used, and take long walks on the beach.
Jill, thank you for taking the time to reply.
I'm also a glass half full type. I'm an enthusiastic brand/hype/social media lover, too. And I'm _also_ a meditating realist. Let's be real here. The Earth doesn't need a PR person, a PR company or a PR day.
The Earth needs a global mindshift and Earth Hour is an internet meme that let's us feel good for 24-48 hours while we tweet and blog that we're PART OF THE CHANGE. Then Monday morning we wake up, get in our cars, eat toxic crap and generally do our part to destroy Earth further. I'm a new media/social media educator and love good buzz as much as the next gal. The problem with this is it's _all_ buzz created by us, for us. To make us feel like we're part of the change. And buzz doesn't push it to the next place.
Buzz is not change. Buzz, in this case, is what it sounds like – noise created to distract us from the silence needed to observe our own patterns and habits.
No flaming from me, I agree with you, but I don't want to tell anyone who is planning to do Earth Hour that they're silly or shouldn't do it, just as I wouldn't want anyone to tell me my small efforts are silly / not enough. I only use one small energy efficient lamp at night anyway, but I'm trying to be more earth friendly overall.
Amy, thanks for commenting!
Didn't use the word "silly" – in fact, I would say I'm arguing more for "dangerous." Dangerous to think that this trending topic can replace the real work of getting to know ourselves, our habitual patterns and dangerous that the belief that turning off the lights for an hour will make a long-term difference. Which I don't believe it will. In the least. Hype, in this case, in my honest and humble opinion, is dangerous.
When I heard about Earth Hour I figured the main purpose of it wasn't to let the earth "rest", but to get the conversation started on a much more personal level of how to live more sustainably. Like mskogly wrote above, the hour is more of a symbol and a social way to commune.
"I get the part where people will flame me in the comments saying that “every little bit counts,” but I’m going to counter that if you want to do your part you will use Earth Hour to sit, meditate and consider your daily impact on the Earth. You will contemplate ways to change your behaviors for good."
…I actually thought that that was what everyone as supposed to do during that hour! And if everyone did that, it would be great. I just don't think you should complain about things that are good, and why do you have to make Boulder look all self-righteous? That'll make everyone hate us!
Sorry to be negative, fellow person working to help our mother.
Boulder, self-righteous!? We would never deign come across as self-righteous, would we?
I'm arguing against pat internet memes here. I'm NOT arguing against real change. The point of Earth Hour is to turn off our lights. For one hour.
If there's a line on the site about meditating, looking inward or contemplating long-term change, I would love for you to post it here. And post it all over Twitter, Facebook and every other social network. That's the challenge – take this beyond a 140 character tweet or a blog post.
I think dangerous may be a stretch. I kind of see your point but may I ask… instead of writing a post about how it's a joke maybe a post about how to actually make a bigger impact would be more beneficial?? I've never been to your blog before. I'm trying to learn ways to make a difference but now instead of leaving with good information on how I can do that I'm left only your bitter view of an event that has good intentions.
Just a thought.
Roni, if you click some of the links above, we'll I'll just copy it here…you can see how realism, and negativity, sometimes inspires greater half-full glass action than casual positivity, which might be Gwen's intention.
http://www.elephantjournal.com/2008/04/earth-hour...
the basic point: we can, and must, and should do more. Earth Hour is communal, and fun, and eye-opening, maybe even romantic (candles, mmm)…but we all know it's not going to change shiite in and of itself. If, as Gwen warns, we go right back to our toxic, polluting, wasteful daily lives…then really Earth Hour is in danger of becoming more of an insult to lovely ol'Mother Earth than anything else.
The joke is that if Gwen's title had been 'Earth Hour needs to be so much more' no one would react, contemplate…and as they say in the UN Charter "it's in the minds of men [and women, and children] that wars are made. Therefore it's only in the minds of men [ ... ] that peace can be made."
True. It's not a joke but a very good point. Not sure I would have found you a different title.
Amen! Thanks for visiting. Here's to punchy titles!
Roni…thanks for your comment. This is actually a great idea! Maybe you should blog about the ways we can use this as an impetus for long-term change.
This isn't an angry rant. I'm happy to talk more about ways we can use this as an impetus for change – and I'm sure that if you poke around this blog you'll find lots of ways to do it if you're needing ways to get started. Perhaps what isn't clear about what I'm saying is that I want to instigate some thought on these issues – it's one thing to add to the buzz, to RT (retweet) and write a 140 character commitment to turning off the lights for an hour.
What's much harder is real, long-term, serious commitment to change. If the stars and big companies like Coca-Cola can turn off their lights for an hour ONCE A YEAR what else can they be doing? Let's rally for that kind of change.
Not the fluffy one hour "showy" variety.
I recently found out about Earth Hour and really don't have feelings for it either way. It seems rather trendy, but I guess "being green" in general has become trendy.
After reviewing the website I do see an overtone of making lasting change.
For one, Earth Hour is about making a vote that will be turned into the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. It seems more like a protest to me.
Two, the take action page mentions things like: find out how to reduce your carbon footprint and discuss how the climate change has affected you.
Three, they are also asking for people to post what they do. I would think most people who take this hour seriously would do some sort of activity that encourages long term change.
I under stand your rant, but in the end this little hour will probably do more good then bad.
Evry chractr cnts!
This is the 2nd article I've been directed towards today opposing "Earth Hour". Fascinating.
I have to admit, I'm actually for anything that starts people talking about how to change bad habits into better ones. When I was a child, we had candlelight Friday. At sundown, all the lights went off and we spent the rest of the night sans tv, radio, and lights. We talked, played games, read by candle light or fire light or went to sleep. I've tried to bring that tradition with me as I've grown (unsuccessfully for the most part) and see this as an opportunity to get back to turning off -at the very least -one hour a week and listening to my own thoughts.
I guess that's what this Earth Hour is to me.
Of course, I agree and kudos to you Gwen for stepping up and expressing your views regardless of the response. I look at each step taken an opportunity to do better. And for many this is a huge step forward. I am going to use Earth Hour as a way to educate my children on our effect on the earth. Earth hour, in it's triviality and tininess is perfect for children to grasp. (Too bad we have to reduce it to this for big businesses as well.)
Rock on, 'Chelle. I think that sounds like an awesome plan: "see this as an opportunity to get back to turning off -at the very least -one hour a week and listening to my own thoughts." I think that's great. That's what I'm advocating – listening to our own thoughts, getting right with ourselves is what it's about.
what was the other article, 'Chelle?
It was here: http://blog.aynrandcenter.org/earth-hour-and-atla... and you can click through to the original op-ed from there. It was… interesting.
Interesting. Both were thought-provoking. Thanks for linking it up, 'Chelle. Do you think his argument is valid?
I … personally… think he's reaching.
"Its call for people to renounce energy and to rejoice at darkened skyscrapers makes its real meaning unmistakably clear: Earth Hour symbolizes the renunciation of industrial civilization."
Or? It's a bunch of concerned people wanting to make sure people are aware of their energy consumption and the footprint they're leaving on the earth.
Or maybe that's just me. Whatever, it was a nice quiet evening of reading by candle light with out the ever present hum of technology. And I'm looking forward to another one this Friday night. You can direct me to my cave now.
A few posts on the burning toxic smelly dangers of conventional candles vs. candles that are good alternatives:
http://www.elephantjournal.com/2008/10/light-a-ca...
http://www.elephantjournal.com/2009/02/how-to-gre...
I plan on burning my home made soy candles with non-mercury containing wick… while reading a completely trashy romance novel.
D Is Earth Hour a joke? Maybe. Does it get people to think about what exactly is using electricity that they need to turn off in their house? Definitely. Its not until you start unplugging everything in your house that uses electricity that you realize just _how much_ of it you use.
I think Earth Hour, while silly to those of us trying to live a sustainable lifestyle every day, its still a visible means to people who are just now joining the cause. In the process, it causes no harm.
Amy of Crunchy Domestic Goddess wonders about the Efficacy of Earth Hour. And reminds those participating to beware of candles: <a href=”http://crunchydomesticgoddess.com” target=”_blank”>http://crunchydomesticgoddess.com – have a read.
I feel like everyone is missing the point of Earth Hour. It’s a symbolic gesture. Nobody thinks the the physical act of turning off your lights for one hour will impact global warming. But it’s the symbol of many millions of people turning off their lights for an hour that will bring about change. It’s about showing the world’s leaders that we do care about the issue of climate change and we would like them to do something about it. It’s about the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009 (the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012). This meeting will determine official government policies to take action against global warming. It is the chance for the people of the world to make their voice heard.
I really enjoy your blog. Thanks for sparking such a lively debate!
it is evident to most of us that we all should be doing more for the planet — even the already sustainably minded folks… and that some people like to get off on doing more superficial, transient acts like earth hour but aren't really living sustainably on a day to day basis. and the point is… what exactly?
i don't think the intention was to replace earth day but to create an event to boost awareness on energy use even if it just for one hour. i think in the post it even said that it was symbolic and would not technically make a climatic difference. it seems that you are stating the obvious, of course, the earth needs our participation for more than one hour but thanks for blogging on it!
Gwen, is one hour of meditation going to change habitual patterns in any substantial way either? In my experience ..I try one day, I slip the next and on and on….its a practice. Sure a whole day of meditation is different from an hour…but the long term change is in the ongoing practice, no? So, isn't bringing awareness helpful in whatever form?..getting the ball rolling so to speak….setting the ground of awareness for an ongoing practice? And I totally agree with Wendy about making a statement for the systems change itself by the gesture. Gestures may appear weak to some…but sometimes even small step can have powerful results..no? Sort of like watching the breath…many think that is a "joke" too, eh?
Hey Kate, thanks for jumping in the discussion here. I agree with you that it's a practice. Clearly, all that we do is part of the practice.
A gesture is just that, a one-off. Is a lifetime made up of gestures? Certainly. But what I'm seeing here is mindless gestures. I've seen thousands of 140 character messages fly by over the past few days on the topic "Earth Hour."
It takes a few moments of typing to feel like you're part of the change. It takes a lifetime to make real change happen.
What troubles me is that it's _too easy_ to _look the part_ these days. As a social media chick, I see all sorts of memes make the rounds. It gets retweeted and people pledge X number of dollars or Y action. Next week it'll be another meme. Another cause to feel like you support. We *heart* causes because we think a gesture here or there adds up to a well-rounded life.
You see, I'm approaching this not as an armchair environmentalist but from the inside of the belly of the "social media" world. Where it really is Cause of the Week. That freaks me out. Our casual attitudes toward the environment, thinking that the gesture of a flick of the wrist tonight is sufficient, is what makes me call this a dangerous meme/trend. There are people out there working for this sort of change daily. Waylon, the main guy behind elephant journal, for one, is walking the walk. I look to him as an example (on some things) – and I think we'd all do well to spend a little time each day thinking about our impact. Not just on this entity we call Earth, but on other human beings, on our own bodies, too.
It's daily effort that matters. Everyday, always. That's exhausting work. 140 characters is simply too easy by comparison. I don't think Earth Hour is going to jump-start anyone to really readjust their outlook on the environment. But hey, if it does, killer. If not, well at least we can all pat ourselves on the back for reading by candlelight for an hour tonight.
No harm, no foul?
George Marshall for the Guardian UK: Turning out the lights plays into the hands of our critics http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/cif-green/2...
My follow-up: Earth Hour & The Dangers of Social Media: http://bit.ly/u86Lg
*you sure are one loud trash talkin' fairy!
I also like to stage dive at karaoke. In stilettos.
I want to argue for those in this "social media" space to be responsible.
Perpetuating a meme, thoughtlessly and mindlessly, through retweets and unresearched blog posts is not responsible behavior. Many of the comments here have shown the desire for us to be responsible and take action beyond an hour. Hopefully my purpose is clear. I'm not here to trash talk. Yeah, I want to provoke discourse beyond one hundred and forty characters. But my end goal is not to piss you off, it's to make you _think_.
I only mean "trash-talkin'" in the most provocative of ways intellectually! grrrrrrrrrr……;-)
I hear you, Joana. LOUD and clear. *smile*
Gwen. If you are attempting to perpetuate a meme that Earth Hour is a bad idea, it's not working. The effects of this symbolic annual gesture all seem to be positive.
….more comments from our facebook page (become a fan: http://www.facebook.com/pages/elephantjournalcom/... )
Liz Krause Williams at 11:22am March 28
I'm a little disappointed in the negativity coming from elephant.
ReportValerie Wevers Brandner at 11:36am March 28
Right? Couldn't hurt, anyway.
ReportLiz Joseph at 11:37am March 28
I'm liking the opportunity for free and open dialogue about Earth Hour. Read the posts. I think it's great!
ReportMary Ann Peters at 12:13pm March 28
Imagine if the entire world didn't eat meat for 1 day!!! Going VEG would by far have the greatest impact. However, everyone should be a little more conscious of other bad habits too, as our conspicuous consumption has gotten out of hand.
So order a Veggie Burger in the dark : )
ReportDonald M. Arrant Jr. at 12:15pm March 28
I find the general assertion that people are choosing to partake in this event to"feel better about ourselves" superficial and amateur at best. People are quick draw this argument out of their holsters without putting much thought into in thus finding themselves in a place where they waste their breath trying to elaborate and justify. Take for example the fact that gwen suggested that we use this time to meditate and reflect on how destructive our lives are towards the earth. I think this is a great idea but somewhat insulting, assuming that people have decided to turn off their lights without much thought as to why. She had mentioned Boulder being a hub for political and social activism but pointed out that ain't much getting done. Well, I am going to be quick to assert that people are too busy meditating and trying to better themselves before they go out and tackle the greater problems of the world as opposed to using experience has a chance to grow.
ReportDonald M. Arrant Jr. at 12:22pm March 28
i do have to commend the author for playing devil's advocate.
ReportJennifer Stock at 1:19pm March 28
just turn off you lights.
instead of arguing and finding fault with everything, how about we just take whatever small action we can in the moment.
It's a reminder.
A place to start.
and it does make a difference.
may there be peace in the darkness…
and then in the light…
ReportDonald M. Arrant Jr. at 2:05pm March 28
it is dialogue, not arguing per se. fine points though.
ReportAlison Church at 2:08pm March 28
voluntary simplicity
elephantjournal.com at 2:22pm March 28
Jennifer, LKW:
I'm all for Earth Hour, personally—but as editor I like to offer different, well-thought-out points of view.
Gwen is an avid 'environmentalist'—she's just saying, I think, that casual symbolism won't get us where we need to go, esp when that symbolism is respresented by an impractical act on a day to day basis. Sometimes, being casually positive, Liz, can have a detrimental effect. Sometimes it's impt to 'face the music'—that the Kyoto Protocol of 20 years ago was considered a compromise by environementalists, and yet almost no one has met its goals…most have exceeded them by 100 plus percent.
Yvon Chouinard, founder of eco, indie Patagonia, is one of my idols in this regard. He wakes up each morning, faces the facts, says "ah we're all going to hell in an SUV" and then works his butt off, and has fun doing so, for the greater good.
PS: I also think Gwen's goal is to get us thinking, instead of mindlessly feeling good about ourselves for one hour and then going back to generally wasteful habits.
Nail on the head, Waylon. "Gwen's goal is to get us thinking, instead of mindlessly feeling good about ourselves for one hour and then going back to generally wasteful habits."
I read Voluntary Simplicity for the first time while in college and do think that's an excellent guide through this, Alison. Great suggestions.
I see a lot of comments that have hit most of my points about speaking out against things that might indeed change minds, and how creating a debate at least inspires some thinking but I have one more thing to add. The Internet and all of our memes, tools, pages, blogs, rants, posts (like mine! haha), and all of that have little to no impact if we aren't also our in the world changing minds directly.
Remember that Earth Hour is supposed to inact a change in thinking for people, not just a one time good deed.
People for the most part really do react when you approach them with easy ways to do more on a regular basis.
You want others to do more? Do it yourself first. Start a collection for recycling, start using less energy and water, get rid of your gas guzzler and ride a bike or walk. If we're going to talk the talk, we need to teach others how to walk our walk. Not just do it ourselves.
Gwen has defended herself as positive and a realist and I have seen that in past blog entries but don't just beat peopel up for bad ideas, help them make it a good one.
-Matt
We're going to help _ourselves_ make it a good one, Matt. Excellent ideas.
Here's my daily life: I walk/ride the bus/bike. In beautiful Boulder. I take my own bags into Whole Foods. I sit. I podcast with Patrick weekly (Zen is Stupid http://zenisstupid.com) about living the mindful life. I minimize my consumption and eat healthily. And I hang out with Waylon, so surely some of his good ways have rubbed off on me.
This is absolutely about daily behaviors. This isn't about going with the pack and doing an hour of tweeting/live-blogging in the dark (seriously, folks are suggesting we live-blog the hour in the dark). One reason I didn't lead off in the post about my own practices is that I don't want to come across as superior. I want to question and probe this – not beat someone over the head with a Superiority Stick.
Also I really can spell….people..peopel…stupid me.
[...] Gwen Bell helped show how much of a joke this is. People’s attention span is now so short that an hour is all we can devote to the only planet [...]
Earth Hour is a trend – and yeah, it’s trendy for all that might negatively imply. But it brought about an awareness and a conversation. Gwen you're right, clearly it needs more than one hour of all of our thoughts and time. Of course thinking about it outside of an insulated media or an isolated moment is essential. If that’s the intent – great, but it's counter productive to mock something that is generally good and that might actually get people to think about how their small lifestyle changes will have an effect – no matter how short lived the immediate action.
Provoking that inspiration is powerful and necessary, whatever way it's communicated.
And I am glad to see this has provoked you, Kristin. No mocking, just observation.
Paying attention is different than cultivating awareness. LOTS of attention paid, over time, certainly does "build up" for lack of a better term, to awareness. If this meme helps folks cultivate awareness, I am for it. At the end of the entry I say, "You will contemplate ways to change your behaviors for good. The Earth doesn’t care whether or not you turn your lights off tomorrow night. But it might appreciate you taking a moment to reflect on ways to change your habitual patterns for the better, for good."
I'm getting a lot of comments that equate paying attention with cultivating awareness. I'd like to make the distinction.
We "pay attention" to a lot of bits of information throughout the day. Countless emails, youtube videos, tweets, news pieces – cross our screen. We give them a moment of "attention" and go back to the task at hand. If this meme is any different, I encourage you to show me how. If we are still talking about Earth Hour as much as we are right now in one month from today (on April 28, 2009) I will retract what I've said in this blog. If there are still hundreds of tweets happening about the Earth, if the tweets have turned into actions, I will take back all that I've said. And eat humble pie.
If the point is to "cultivate awareness" over the long-term then we need to _change our marketing_. We need to re-think the pitch. And "we" includes all of us reading, participating in the comments, retweeting and blogging about this.
you are absolutely right -your editorial did provoke me and I completely take your point. And – to your point – i would imagine, tracking how Earth Hour will ultimately effect change, may be near impossible. we can only hope that it does – on some small level – cultivate that awareness and change in some one or in many. Bravo for wanting to improve the strategy. So we're left with — another question? What does that new global, not simply personal, strategy look like? I'm not arguing, i really am just curious of your thoughts?
I am going to drink 3 cans of Dale's Pale Ale in the dark.
Love Dales. Awesome.
most. comments. on. elephantjournal.com. ever.
couldn't agree more! here in singapore there was an official earth hour event where the organisers gave out disposable plastic glow sticks and serving food in disposable plastic containers – all by candlelight though (and glow sticks)!! completely counter productive…
What about Earth No Flush Hour ?
http://www.pachangadiaries.com/earth-no-flush-hou...
No so counter productive. Save water !!
I applaud Gwen for speaking her truth and being willing to take the heat (globally warmed heat, that is). I didn't turn my lights off last night because I simply forgot, and thus missed having a nice candlelight dinner with my sweetie. Symbolic gestures are nice, but mass change is another thing. In America we have been far too comfortable to protest, en masse, for what we want. Scientists have confirmed that climate change is occurring far more rapidly than we ever thought. Our delicate and miraculous biosphere will only remain intact for future generations if developed nations radically change their means of producing and consuming energy: as for earth hour – well, perhaps it saved a few kilowatts of juice. In the media, symbolism is highly important; if mass protests hadn't broken out against the Vietnam War, it may have never ended. Human nature often reveals that we don't change until we're forced to – I hope at that point, it is not too late.
I wanted to chime in because I find myself asking "well who made YOU Chairman of the Board of Earth whatever?"
If my 78 year old mom frets about being in the dark during Earth Hour I'm not gonna tell her to buck up. Do I have a point here? I guess I am thinking that taking a stand for or against Earth Hour seems so, so…fruitless?? Why would anyone want to judge anyone else for how exactly they expressed their Earth Hour—ness? Or if it was proper? Or if it was good enough? Or if it was right? Or wrong? See my point? People are smarter than you might think. People make HUGE and small change all the time and the polemic of saying HOW they should change goes against the whole premise of the collective. I say the more the merrier–and however people make their merry —that's up to them because expression of self is what leads to happiness and happy people tend to treat the earth better, no? yes? Please don't hate me for using so many words. I'm so not a Tweetie but I am a Sweetie.
I wanted to chime in because I find myself asking "well who made YOU Chairman of the Board?"
If my 78 year old mom frets about being in the dark during Earth Hour I'm not gonna tell her to buck up or poo-poo her feeling. Do I have a point here? I guess I am thinking that taking a stand for or against Earth Hour seems so, so…fruitless?? Why would anyone want to judge anyone else for how exactly they expressed their Earth Hour—ness? Or if it was proper? Or if it was good enough? Or if it was right? Or wrong? See my point? People are smarter than you might think. People make HUGE and small change all the time and the polemic of saying HOW they should change goes against the whole premise of the collective. I say the more the merrier–and however people make their merry —that's up to them because expression of self is what leads to happiness and happy people tend to treat the earth better, no? yes? Please don't hate me for using so many words. I'm so not a Tweetie but I am a Sweetie.
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