Saving the Earth for your Image

Article Source/ URL: http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/03/on-facebook-some-friendly-energy-rivalry/?ref=technology#

The article On Face book Some Healthy Energy Rivalry is about how the company Opower is using face book to keep people green. Keeping green has become less about saving the earth, but more about doing it to keep people thinking good of you. When you use a light bulb (that isn’t green) or electricity you are trapping carbon dioxide in the earth. If your neighbor see’s that you don’t use a green light bulb they might somewhat judge you. Nobody wants to be judged so they do whatever possible to fit in. It might not be what is morally right, but still it’s saving the earth! Opower has an app on face book where you get a certain number of points every time you use electricity. That way since everyone can see people, try and use a little as possible to not seem environmentally selfish.

The author of this article is trying to say that, to save the world from electronics we need electronics! We don’t care about what is important anymore just what other people think of us. Leslie Kaufman says “way that such information plays off social relationships and creates peer pressure” its what society does to us! Everyone pays attention to what others look like, the trends, ways to be cool. No one focuses on the true ethics anymore!

I think that its good that Opower thought of this! Millions of people use face book every single day! Including myself. This could become a big part of saving the world! I just find it frustrating that the only reason why  people really try and help the earth, is to keep their image good. People think the world is too big to help. But if everyone thinks that no one will even bother helping. And everything will just get worse. Then what will people think they will tell themselves “ its not my fault what could I do?” they could of made a impact even if it were a small one it could catch on!