We Are VI: Eco Warriors with a Difference

Did u know that Diesel first invented his motor to be run on plant oil?

Somewhere along the line we strayed from such affable models and created a society that is literally heaping ruin on itself. Ironically, it was the lighthearted Pixar production, Wall-E, that got me doing some heavy thinking about whether or not humans are simple-minded enough to bleed the world dry and then panic. I like to think we’ve got more gumption and common sense than that…

Last week the team at VI took the first steps towards going green. Slightly cringing about joining the ranks of recent companies who have suddenly decided to express concern about the environment, VI’s shift got me thinking about the marriage between environmentalism and economics.

Firstly, just to get the record straight and avoid sounding like an eco Scrooge, I am a devoted lover of nature and fully accept the fact that we all have a responsibility to our environment. However, call me a cynic, but I believe we have gotten into this situation as a result of relying on the easiest, cheapest energy option from oil. Any catalysts for altering our ways are more often economic than environmental. You didn’t see people walking around with Tesco’s green bags before oil shot through the roof. You also have to question, when people embraced Anya Hindmarch’s ‘I’m Not A Plastic Bag’, whether it was more about fashion endorsements than saving the world.

I firmly believe our money, and minds, can be put to better use, looking into alternative sources of energy.

I’ve struggled over the last few weeks trying to make a decision about whether or not I wanted to offset our company’s carbon footprint and I’ve decided not to. But, before you get in a huff, let me explain why….

Perhaps controversially, I am not too interested in offsetting our carbon footprint because I don’t think it’s a solution. Going carbon neutral is like putting a plaster on a much larger wound. It is a marketing ploy that suggests that the damage done by burning fossil fuels can simply be counteracted by balancing out the rising CO2 levels by planting trees and augmenting O2 levels. Instead of eclipsing these ‘problem’ gases with ‘positive’ ones, we should be avoiding releasing them into the environment altogether. We at VI simply want to draw attention to the fact that the situation is more complex than planting trees and soothing consciences. I strongly believe we need to lower our dependence on oil altogether and diversify our energy sources.

Whilst I agree that it is better to do something than nothing at all, and would by no means want to dissuade people from doing their bit for the environment, I believe in having the choice of what you do, rather than being forced to choose from a limited pool of stock options.

With this in mind, my rant turns to action, and I’ll wing it with my own proposal as to how the team at VI shall do their bit. My plan is to find out how much it would cost to go carbon negative for the entire team at VI. Counting up the carbon damage done on their travels to and from work, and not forgetting their Easy Jetting breaks from the office, the final hypothetical sum will be donated to a different worthy cause. We are on the search for some bright individuals who have a novel concept for an eco project and need financial assistance. We will make a no strings attached donation that will go each year to a different project. Transferring the VI philosophy of fresh thinking to our eco policies, we wish to provide support to the new eco-innovators of our society.

So here are our policies. Some economic, some not, but all reveling in VI’s right to choose in what ways and for what reasons we help the planet.

Damian Kimmelman, Director