Carrotmobbing is a sort of reverse boycott for environmental purposes. My blog sometimes features ecological economics which is fast approaching "the answer". I am certain that if the environmental costs of any goods or services (the "externalities") are taken into account that automatically the cleaner greener option would become at least the same price as, and probably cheaper than, the dirtier, more polluting, less sustainable items that are currently offered for sale by mainstream manufacturers. Same principle works for energy and food supplies. Carrotmobbing is not ecological economics in action but is an intriguing twist on conventional consumer culture combined with a fun-day-out community atmosphere.It is based on flash-mobbing, which is where a large number of people arrange via text, internet etc to suddenly turn up at a designated location and do something unusual for a few minutes, e.g. form a high kicking chorus line then disperse leaving the passers-by wondering what the h**l is going on.
The "carrot" aspect is a reference to boycotting campaigns, which get people to boycott companies or countries for environmental, justice or human rights reasons, being a "stick" to hurt the offender. Carrotmobbing says to businesses that if they green up their act, that large numbers of people will descend on their shop and buy loads of their stuff - an economic reward or carrot. Here is a video of the first carrotmobbing in San Francisco, preceded by an explanation. Click here for the carrotmob website
Carrotmob Makes It Rain from carrotmob on Vimeo.
2 comments:
Thanks for posting that Nick. The very interesting thing to observe is the apparent age range of the people in the shot. It may just reflect the business they were supporting, or it could be something about the people who 'get it'.
The store in question was a general household/liquor store. They were mostly in "generation text", agewise.
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