Activism : Opinion

Do small steps actually lead anywhere? We all know the theory that small steps lead to bigger steps, which lead in turn to real change. And there are certainly a lot of small steps on offer these days, from the latest home energy tracker to the solar bikini. But it's not at all clear that the ready abundance of small steps is actually making any difference. Indeed, between greenwashing and green fatigue, emphasizing little behavioral changes may actually be hurting.

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By Jane Slaughter, cofounder of Labor Notes, a nonprofit that works on behalf of union activists

By Judith Samuelson, executive director of the Aspen Institute’s Business and Society Program

By Lucinda Marshall, a feminist artist, writer, activist, and founder of the Feminist Peace Network.

No actually we don't think targeting women with their legs spread wide on a bullseye, even if it happens to be your corporate symbol is a good marketing strategy. But to add insult to injury, when another blogger wrote to protest the ad, she got an insulting reply.

Many human-rights activists believe that it was their protests at the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, a financial company controlled by Warren Buffett, that prompted the sale of its 11% shareholding in PetroChina. After all, why else would the investment genius have taken such a bad financial decision? Although he made a profit of $3.5 billion when he sold the shares in the Chinese oil company, which activists accuse of indirectly funding the genocide in Darfur, PetroChina's share price has since continued to soar.

Like small boats in an unending squall, U.S. consumers are buffeted from all sides with information about what kind of food to buy and why it's good—or bad—for them. In such a convergence of advertising, news, and constant marketing, timely and accurate information is crucial for those who want to make healthy and affordable choices.