A good friend of mine sent me a video from a campaign that is gaining some traction on Facebook: I do 30.   Nice video and a campaign that has highly visible appeal and T-shirts too.  Wow.  I do 30, I do 30.  Catchy, until you look closely.  This is a European campaign to wash your clothes in 30 degrees C (86 degrees F) rather than 60 degrees C (140 degrees F).  Wonderful until you take time to consider that water coming out of the tap is probably 15 degrees C or so.  That makes the basic message here: Wash Your Clothes in Warm.  Which in my mind is a luke warm response to the serious consequences of climate change. 

And it turns out this campaign is led by and sponsored by an enzyme manufacturer.  It is pretty much a marketing campaign for their product which apparently might not work in cold water.  While the “don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good angel” is fully functioning on my shoulder, I am still inclined towards a thumbs down for this one.  Why settle for 30 when I suspect most New Dreamers are at 15?  How does one un-start a viral Facebook campaign?

Posted in Community, Consumption, Energy, Environment, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Thoughts from Bob, Water  | |  

About the Author

Bob has been a leader in the conservation, environmental, and sustainability arenas for more than 20 years. At New American Dream he hopes to accelerate the societal change needed to build a sustainable future for all life. He and his wife, a green architect and landscape designer, also hope to take full advantage of the "extra" day by exploring options in urban homesteading.