IÂ was in Paris over the weekend for a family celebration. While there we made a side trip to the cities primary tourist attraction, the Eiffel Tower. Â It was a Sunday morning and we went early to get in line to go up the tower. Â My 12 year old step son had never been and was quite excited, and it was fun for Caroline and I, two jaded old-timers, to be with someone getting such a kick out of it. Â Â
IÂ was in Paris over the weekend for a family celebration. While there we made a side trip to the cities primary tourist attraction, the Eiffel Tower. Â It was a Sunday morning and we went early to get in line to go up the tower. Â My 12 year old step son had never been and was quite excited, and it was fun for Caroline and I, two jaded old-timers, to be with someone getting such a kick out of it. Â While we waited in line a funny thing happened — Greenpeace activists somehow unfurled a huge yellow anti-nuke banner. For a few precious moments it time, it was perfectly positioned in the middle of a ring of stars newly posted to the tower celebrating France’s leadership in the EU. Â The French police shut down access to the tower, cleared the area, and removed the banner. Â They were playing it safe and I don’t blame them, it was the prudent thing to do. However, we were sure disappointed we couldn’t go up, and the sideshow was small consolation.Â
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Putting aside the inconvenience factor it had me thinking about creativity and Greenpeace.
Generally speaking, I support Greenpeace. Â I’ve contributed dollars to them in the past. Â I won’t in the future — and not because of this protest. Â More because what they are doing is simply uncreative, and ineffective in terms of inspiring any innovative change.Â
It’s easy to be against something isn’t it? Â Creativity requires that you do something positive, advocate real world solutions, not just be against things. Â The thinking as to the practicality and safety of nuclear power is an open debate to be sure. Â We’ve been having it for 30 years haven’t we? Because of the efforts of many, nuclear power only makes a small contribution to the world’s growing energy needs. Â I’m no longer sure this is a good thing. Â
We’re going to run out of fossil fuels someday, that’s a fact. That’s why it’s hard to imagine a future world without nuclear power. Â If that’s the case, what’s the creative solution? Â Probably something along the lines of safer nuclear power, better technology for waste handling, and simply very wise usage. Â I believe we can solve those problems — and we really need to solve those problems. Â Why can’t Greenpeace advocate for those things instead of wasting everyone’s time with pointless and ineffective demonstrations?Â
I say ineffective because the protest did not make television news in the UK. Â Not sure if it hit local news in France, it may have, but certainly this was not a Big Story, more a blip on the radar screen.
In my opinion Greenpeace is lost in the fog.  Lost in negativity and not contributing to solutions in the real world. I tried to post a comment on their blog (see: Culture Jamming the Eiffel Tower) and two hours after posting my comment it has still not appeared.  I guess Greenpeace isn’t very tolerant of any views that diverge from their own. That isn’t very creative either is it?  Perhaps this is another way Greenpeace does “culture jamming!”
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