Shoppers, Unite! Carrotmobs Are Cooler than Boycotts

Time ^ | May 15, 2009 | Jeremy Caplan

[chickadee]

Forget sticks, and stick with carrots instead. So says Brent Schulkin, founder of a fledgling movement of activist consumers employing a kind of reverse boycott that he calls a Carrotmob. The concept is simple: instead of steering clear of environmentally backward stores, why not reward businesses with mass purchases if they promise to use some of the money to get greener?

"Traditional activism revolves around conflict," says Schulkin, 28, a San Francisco–based activist turned entrepreneur. "Boycotting, protesting, lawsuits — it's about going into attack mode," says the former Googler and onetime game developer. "What's unique about a Carrotmob is that there are no enemies." The focus is on positive cooperation, using the power of the casual consumer to help save the planet.

[chickadee]

Arugula at homeless shelters and carrot protests. The recession hasn't sunk in with some people.

[martin_fierro]

Sometimes a carrot is just a carrot.

[Clay Moore]

Why carrots? Seems watermelon would be more appropriate.

[Mr. K]

And some Dijon mustard or an aubergine and lemongrass coulis

[chickadee]

Michelle . . . is that you?

[proxy_user]

Well, I don’t carrot all.

[keats5]

I guess that’s how FReepers reward ammo manufacturers.

[chickadee]

Good Boy/Girl. (pat, pat)

[chickadee]

Ummmmmm . . . . ?

[Larry Lucido]

This is pratice for the next step, lynchmobs.

[Girlene]

Why don’t they grow their own carrots?

[Jack_1]

Some time a carrot is only a carrot-top and Carrotmob or Virgance is only a nose pick.

[Pilated]

Look at the age of the “sheeple” in the pictures. These young adults have no problem being herded at this age because hey have been indoctrinated their whole academic life. They have swallowed hook, line, and sinker the swill of the green mantra. They are the ones the current administration is cuddling into it's fold.

[Jabba the Nutt]

Let's see, last week, the media was swooning over the wonderful "Blacks buying black" supposed new national movement. Now, the DSM is waxing euphoric over eco-nuts buying eco-nut.

I want to put coporate America on notice, that I despise all this "buy Green" crap. Where possible, I avoid any product promoted with the "buy Green" nonsense.

[flowerplough]

why not reward businesses with mass purchases if they promise to use some of the money to get greener?

Yeah, sure, I promise. I'll use your money to get greener. I promise-promise-promise. Now start spending."

[Gulf War One]

I’m with you. I get a severe case of chapass now at every mention of “green.”

Green has become the standard of overgrown hall monitors who seem to want to control every aspect of life.

I’m fed up.

[ASOC]

Do you DO see

Green is the new Red

[Gulf War One]

They’re worst than the old communists because there is more of a religious fervor about the whole rotten movement.

Greens are the biggest threat to science since the Enlightenment. Witness “Climate Change.”

[ASOC]

LOL

A ‘new’ religion indeed - “Orthodox Luddites” or “NeoLufddites”, “Restored Luddites” or maybe “New Day Luddites.

You could have some fun with this - they are, after all Luddites in the truest sense of the title.

Ned would be proud, except the original Luddites were talented, hard working folks.

What does that make the new age counterfeits?

[Jabba the Nutt]

For your Chapass, buy the high-tech diapers. :^)

[edzo4]

I love when companies that make money from consumption pretend that they are against consumption, Like NBC/Universal asking everyone to turn off the lights to save electricity, imagine how much electricity we could save if nobody watched NBC