I know that I am a bit late with this video, but I enjoyed it so much that I thought I would share it again. I watched it a few weeks ago when it hit YouTube and became fairly popular. Unfortunately I have to admit that I had never been to a Chipotle before this video. Many of my friends had talked about how much they loved Chipotle but not being a die hard Mexican food or fast food fan in general I never felt the pull to visit a Chipotle. Then I saw the following video.
Beyond how downright cute this video is and how awesome Willie Nelson cover Coldplay’s “The Scientist” was the video stands out for its message alone. I had not realized that Chipotle was so dedicated to organic and local food. So I decided to do some research to see if they were just greenwashing or really making a commitment.
Not only is the company committed to sourcing all their food from local and organic suppliers, but they have now created The Chipotle Cultivate Foundation to work with producers, farmers, and ranchers to expand the production of healthier and more natural foods. I have to say, I was downright impressed with Chipoltl and also disappointed that I have never heard about their sustainability goals until now. Most companies that I look at only approach sustainability from the surface for PR reasons. Well Chipotle has ingrained it in their business model and is working to expand their goals beyond their own company. To me this is an impressive feat that will garner them more support than any greenwashing would have.
Also disapointing me? That I had never tasted one of their supposedly fantastic tasting and good for the environment burritos before. So I set out to rectify that problem, and lo and behold it was delicious. I look forward to seeing what Chipotle does next with its impressive goals, and I look forward to more burritos in my future.
Here’s a few of my favorite articles I discovered:
I hate to be unoriginal with my first post here, but I felt like this would be a great place to start my blog. Last semester I took a class called Green Schools and we focused on looking at sustainability the lens of what colleges and universities can and should do. For the class we had a blog in which we had to discuss sustainability, and the following post is one of my favorite pieces that I have written. I feel like a basic definition is an excellent place to start this blog. So I hope you enjoy.
Sustainability is talked about more and more often these days, yet many people have a hard time defining what sustainability truly is. This is due to varying definitions of the term and a general lack of understanding of the complex factors that go into determining sustainability. Sustainable development, which is closely related to sustainability, is often defined as “development that meets the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs,” (Cortese 17). The common assumption is that sustainability equals “green,” and this definition is used to support that assumption. This means if you do good things today like recycling, putting up solar panels, and consuming less you will be saving more for the future. However, once you factor in the development aspect you must realize that sustainability is about building a society that can continue to function within the realm of reality and feasibility. The following video may be basic, but it does an excellent job explaining sustainability in simple terms.
The video stresses the importance of including society and the economy into sustainability, not just the environment. Currently in most people’s minds these three things are separate entities, often seen as opposing forces in constant combat. When policy makers and leaders approach issues with this mindset their view is limited, and therefore their solutions are limited as well. Limited and ineffective solutions only exacerbate the problem. To adequately address issues you must consider the health, social, economic, political, security, population, and environmental aspects associated with them, instead of only focusing on one or two (Cortese 18.)
Universities can and must play an essential role in the pursuit of sustainable development. With a rising percentage of the population in both developed and developing countries achieving higher education, the influence universities have over society is increasing (Cortese 19). However, the current academic structure only perpetuates the problem instead of tackling it. Separated academic departments in universities refuse to integrate information across disciplines and therefore retard critical thinking and problem solving. This effectively negates any attempt at effective and sustainable solutions (M’Gonigle & Starke 33). Attempting a simple solution like recycling more or building LEED certified buildings cannot produce a large enough impact to counteract the inherent failures of our society that universities perpetuate.
Over consumption is ingrained in children from a young age, and reinforced in every stage of life. This is because up until now the view of economist has been that grown will always continue and therefore the population can continue to grow and increase its standard of living without negative consequences (M’Gonigle & Starke 32). Obviously logic should prove this assumption wrong, just as science has over the past few decades. Unfortunately, universities do not attempt to address this issue by challenging students to think in an interdisciplinary and critical way. Instead they allow students to feel that they are doing “less bad” by recycling the water bottle they should have never purchased in the first place. Until people are ready to address large scale problems with an integrated and holistic view, simple solutions will continue to give solace to those who continue to live unsustainably.
Works Cited
Cortese, Anthony D. “Chapter 3: Higher Education’s Critical Role in Creating a Healthy, Just, and Sustainable Society.” The Green Campus: Meeting the Challenge of Environmental Sustainability. Alexandria, VA: APPA, 2008. 17-24. Print.
M’Gonigle, Michael, and Justine Starke. “Chapter 2: Genealogy of an Ancient Edifice.” Planet U: Sustaining the World, Reinventing the University. Gabriola Island, BC: New Society, 2006. 21-41. Print.
Welcome to my blog. I will be using this blog to write posts for my Changing Global Consumer Culture and New Media class at the University of Richmond. I have yet to pick a theme for my blog but my main interests lie within the realm of sustainability and the environment. So I will most likely be writing about consumer choices and marketing that is related to sustainability or “green” products and services. Expect more to come soon and I hope you will enjoy.
Taylor's Sustainability Blog 