I am always amused at how people join ’causes’ on facebook like the ‘Save our Oceans’ cause and a mulitude of others in the thought that the mere act of joining the cause is doing something to help the oceans. Don’t get me wrong I understand the need for awareness and I also understand the butterfly effect and how a mulitiude of little butterflies can make a change but really this kind of public cause support to me is no different to the greenwashing that we rightly acuse many brands of.

The people that join these causes may indeed be well intentioned and likewise concerned about the ocean but joining a causes group on facebook does nothing to actually solve any of the problems it seeks to. The user however still gains the social kudos from joining the cause in the highly public forum that facebook is so really this is no different to a brand like BP calling themselves beyond petroleum and changing their logo to a green and yellow flowery thing.

Perhaps I am being a little harsh there are afterall people in these causes that give money and perhaps all of this social media participation in causes is an indication that we are on some sort of cusp of massive social change. However I cant help shake the feeling that people although they are concerned about the environment deep down interact with the issue more like a moral and in some instances one of fashion than the now clear calamity it presents which requires nothing less than action. OK I may have just fallen into the irate greeny catagory with this post but in all fairness if we are going to hold brands to account for green washing then perhaps we should all look at our own attitudes and behaviour to causes and be careful to treat them with the seriousness and urgency they deserve.