In much of our documentation we have denounced flash-drive technology as being not quite the green solution it appears, despite the fact that the corporate gift enterprises are peddling the gismos as being the new “green” give-away thingies for all your trade-show documentation. The reasoning is that CDs are now considered as throw-aways, while a flash drive can be re-used, if the documents on it are no longer needed by the user. That makes it “green”?…
Let’s look at a parallel technology that was created for its overwhelmingly “green appeal”: the plastic bag. With the best intentions in the world a small group of ESSO (now Exxon) engineers brilliantly created the plastic grocery bag to replace the not-so-ecological paper bag. By then, in the mid-seventies, overuse of paper bags was thought to be a menace to our trees and forests. The beauty of the plastic bag was based on its re-usability and was heavily promoted for that very reason. O.K. Now, despite the good intentions and a well-engineered product, as it turned out, the plastic bag got thinner and thinner and became the menace of our landfills. And this, simply because the habits of all of us did not make us re-use and recycle them systematically… Why? We are lazy! (me too!)… Lucky us, we’ve got landfills. oops!
In many developing countries the thin shredded plastic bags end up on the bare, arable land and grossly injure the growing of essential vegetables. Not surprisingly, shredded wheat does not take its nutrients all that well from a mix of dry dirt and shredded plastic (I am purposely skipping the turtle, the bald eagle and the whale, basting happily in plastic stew). In a similar equation, flash drives are getting bigger and bigger, so your 2-year-old flash drive, that novelty that contained a whopping 64 megabytes just a short while ago, is now commonly discarded for the 4-gigabyte, better one, slicker one and on and on… Discarded means…
How many flash drives do you really need, 2-3 per trade show? Not really! By now you can see where I am going with this. It is not the engineers at Exxon that are to blame for current problems with that marvelous creation, the plastic bag. It is the way we all do not use them as designed. For the same reason, to trust that we are about to use or need that many give-away flash drives is naive and ludicrous. And just as an aside, in today’s state of world economics, there has to be something “fishy” about the words: give-away. And there is. Flash drives will be tossed away and swallowed by some fancy-feathered bird that will be featured in a documentary on saving the planet. The solution is simple: do not provide them or take them at trade shows. We do not want more of them. We have one or two and we can barely make use of more (one is making my computer twitch)…
Of course, you could say that the CleanPix statement: “In a digital world, it only makes sense to manage digital files digitally and skip any and all manual transfers, such as flash drives, CDs. etc.” is self-serving. Yet, and for once, this apparent conflict of interest is deserving of a second take and some serious “green” brownie-points.
To be fair, flash drives, not unlike plastic bags, are quite useful inventions and, without question, several shades of green above CD production. Nevertheless, the footprint they leave behind is truly a physical one, not a virtual one. Furious, YES! When I think that one fully-featured CleanPix account is 1/2 of the cost of production of 1000 flash drives for a one-time give-away and that a CleanPix account would give you world connectivity for a full year plus, YES, you bet I am.
I just got a request from a quite prestigious client to produce 1000 flash-drive give-aways. I stand stunned with the production cost ranging from $4.50 to $8.5 a unit. I guess after writing this, I just got myself out of a contract, but must admit I had some fun doing the illustration.
Nelson Vigneault
CEO, CleanPix Corp.
We are getting our telescope ready and are hoping for a clear view of the sky. The CleanPix team is happily switching off all lights on the inside and outside of our headquarters building for Earth Hour. In addition we will be unplugging all non-essential computers during this time. We’ll be enjoying the calm in concert with the millions of others who are joining in on this notable gesture. We are aware that living on Earth is a privilege.
Posted by cleanpix 
…a “wind-wind” situation. CleanPix Corporation joins Bullfrog Power Inc in its quest for environmentally sound practices. As of February 2008, all of the electrical power used by CleanPix head office is supplied from local wind farms, bypassing sources of fossil-fuel or bio-fuel power generation altogether. CleanPix is now proudly 100% wind powered. Electricity generation is a leading industrial source of carbon dioxide, a primary greenhouse gas linked to climate change, as well as other emissions that contribute to poor air quality. 
Is “GREEN” going to go away?
August 8, 2008The dilemma for the tourism industry is clear, less use of energy means better eco-friendly venues, protection of sites, but also may equate negatively to the sparsity of travelers. Sadly perhaps, world travel may become the luxury of the few who can afford it. This is all very worrisome as it seems that, from any perspective, much is at conflict and the future impact of energy costs on the tourism industry is uncertain. Fundamentally it is not the earth that we are killing, it is humanity, that is ourselves, or perhaps for now, more poignantly, those whose means are far less than ours. When we look globally, we see how the less fortunate are forced out of their riches to supply our “needs”. The dubious regulatory tactics that brought the real-estate market to its knees further eroding the middle-class via the sub-prime fiasco is by no means different in essence to the economic practices imposed on powerless countries. Lending them more than they can afford, acquiring their valuable property out of the deal, leaves them stranded on the street. To some people’s astonishment, it’s all under the watchful eye of the World Bank, catalyst in large degree of these deals. (http://www.naomiklein.org/shock-doctrine).
Sound familiar or simply controversial? … Sure! Nevertheless, conflicts are struck, political lies are masterminded, etc. If you think I dig too deep here, you are right, I am a grown-up. And … I did, like most of us, at an earlier age, said that we were to change the world. But guess what? This our turn now. “Green” is certainly something we can act on individually and purposefully, and for the most part, we do it in all sorts of ways. In a global world the choices we make affect us all. Basically, if we are supposed to be leaders, we have to lead, our government will follow, that’s their job. Truly, I feel a bit awkward. I feel as if I have single-handedly appropriated this discourse. I apologize, for not having the choice, as I am transcribing borrowed words from the consensus of many of my peers and co-workers. The resurgence of financially sound “green economics” is the result of nothing less than a rejection of a disastrous economical and political wrongdoings, long time brewing.
In all, “green” has to be a fundamental undertaking that requires a fundamental shift in our way of life. They say diets don’t work, I just hope that “green” is more than a diet and becomes a healthier choice, one that is here to stay. At CleanPix, from its design and inception, we have attempted to create standards to assist our clients in their journey. We are fully committed to using less energy, less oil. We are aware that our global reach, and the reach of our clients affect the world globally. The decision of being 100% wind-powered for our electrical needs, since February 2008, has marked our focus into this journey through the betterment of greener solutions for our clients. CleanPix insures sound connectivity with professional media peers and is “green” to stay. Our experience to date has made sound economical sense and has been basically painless. Moreover, as it turns out, it’s about decision making rather than risk taking. As a result, I cannot but encourage all to make the shift. There is no lack of “green tips”, there is a want of “doership”.
Nelson Vigneault
CEO CleanPix