Switching gears

Sometimes even the traditional tactics don't work. Greenpeace tried to save old-growth trees in Alaska with a classic logging-road blockage. "It flopped," says John Passacantando, director of Greenpeace USA. The local press was hostile; the national press was bored.

So the activists switched gears. They traced the path of downed trees and found that old-growth spruce ended up in musical instruments. A year ago, Greenpeace warned guitar makers that the wood they need could disappear. "It sent shock waves through the industry," says activist Scott Paul. Executives trekked to Alaska and are working on a plan to set aside land. "We are thankful they contacted us," says C.F. Martin & Co.'s Dick Boak: "It's great to have Greenpeace as a partner and ally."

There are some corporate holdouts. Apple Inc. (AAPL) is resisting Greenpeace's "green my apple" campaign, which calls for more recycling and fewer toxic chemicals. "We disagree on their criteria," says Apple's Steve Dowling. When the group targeted McDonald's Corp. and KFC Corp. (YUM) for using chickens fed with soybeans grown on deforested land in the Amazon, McDonald's agreed to stop. But KFC (YUM) refused to talk, denying that any of their chickens ate Amazon soy.

Meanwhile, chemicalcompanies such as Dow know that the tree-huggers won't stop criticizing them, no matter how much energy or how many greenhouse gas emissions they reduce. "Our job is not to please or convince the activists," says Scott Noesen, Dow's director of sustainable development. "The best we can do is set meaningful targets and report on our successes and failures and dilemmas."

Still, Dow has given activists a seat at the table. In the old days, recalls Texas Pacific Group's Reilly, former head of the Environmental Protection Agency, green activists were "banging on the door trying to get into the room where decisions are made." Now, they're in the room and hard to miss.

WORD LIST

§	word or phrase	Russian equivalent
	to wage an all-out war	вести полномасштабную войну
	ensuing	Последовавший
	raider	собиратель улик (человек, который работает в организации с целью сбора информации о незаконной или ненадлежащей деятельности организации)
	clout	способность оказывать нажим, способность оказывать давление; влияние (особ. политическое)
	Dynamics	Динамика развития отношений
	Fractious	раздраженный, неуправляемый
	Imprimatur	одобрение, санкция
	ubiquitous	постоянно встречающийся
	Groundbreaking	Инновационный, новаторский, революционный (открывающий новые пути, начинающий новую страницу)
	to spew	изрыгать, выбрасывать
	effluents	сточные воды
	bottom line	итог, итоговый результат, например, чистая прибыль или убыток
	co-opt	1) кооптировать 2) вбирать в себя; ассимилировать
	defang	сделать к-л безобидным или неэффективным
	mainstream groups	Основные группы
	Adamant refusal	Полное отрицание/отказ
	edge	преимущество; перевес
	sell out	продаться
	sustainability	Способность продолжать ч-л, не причиняя ущерба окружающей среде; устойчивость, устойчивое развитие Sustainability involves meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, while taking into account what is best for the people and the environment
	swashbuckling	Лихой, задиристый
	flop	провалиться
	holdout	Тот, кто уклоняется или отказывается от участия в чем-то

Discuss your word list, definitions and examples with your team members.

I. Answer the following questions:

1. What examples of environmental problems can you think of?

2. What is meant by green corporate culture?

3. Companies increasingly seek a "green" imprimatur, while enviros view changes in how business operates as key to protecting the planet. Comment.

4. In your opinion do companies use green activists’ support as a mere PR, or ‘greenwashing’?

5. What is the author’s attitude to the cooperation between the green activists and companies managers?

6. What is your attitude to the activity of Greenpeace?

II. Work on the structure of the article. Single out the main ideas.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-16