New Media Awards 2008

Green Thing

http://www.dothegreenthing.com

Nominated in Campaign for change category.

Green Thing is a not-for-profit online community that makes it easy and enjoyable to be green. It’s the first initiative to combine marketing psychology, world-class creativity and the self-fuelling energy of social networks to mobilise the masses
against climate change by making it effortless and fun. Every month you get a different Green Thing to do. All you have to do is do it.

1 nomination from readers

Individuals can make an impact but a community can make a much bigger one.

Green Thing is aimed at anyone who cares about the planet but who finds it too hard, confusing or futile to do anything or anything much about it.

According to DEFRA and TGI research, almost 40 million Britons are ‘inclined to be green’ or ‘occasionally green’ and are receptive to a proposition based on online entertainment:

But as well as awareness, COI data shows us a resistance in practice; only 16 % of us want to walk more, cycle more or use public transport; only 14% want to switch off unused lights or appliances.

Enough people get the imperative, the goal is to convert their realisation into habitual action. Green Thing is achieving this byt turning sustainable behaviour from an administrative chore into a pleasure. And it’s working!

Green Thing is 234 days old today. So far, 106,441 people have paid Green Thing a visit doing 21,014 Green Things saving 2,562.56 tonnes of CO2. In addition to this the monthly videos produced helping people to do the green thing have been viewed by close to 2 million people.

Since its inception Green Thing has grown into an online community of users who are now making active, positive and measurable steps to reducing their carbon output. Members are also generating content, and looking for ways to take Green Thing into their communities at a local level. Green Thing aims to encourage and develop this collective, collaborative enthusiasm as it’s not an easy thing to obtain.

Nominated by Katia Wengraf, 22 May 2008

1 comment from readers

Really like the practical and fun parts of this site. It's not preachy or worthy. Everything seems do-able and everything seems fun to do. I'm a big fan.

Submitted by Mecca Ibrahim, 03 June 2008

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