Readers’ Challenge. Save the Planet. Seven Words.
- Dan Lashof
- Director, Climate Center, Washington, D.C.
- Blog | About
- Posted January 23, 2008 in Solving Global Warming
Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.A couple of Times bloggers noted that this little pearl has a "haiku-like resonance" – seven plain words, and something about its two-word / three-word / two-word structure. Dwight Garner amused himself trying his hand at it. And then the Well blog's Tara Parker-Pope thought, Surely this warrants a competition. She posted an entry challenging her readers to vie for top honors – and received more than 1,000 submissions! (My favorite: “Call Mom. Let her talk. Don’t argue.”)
For years I’ve been looking for a short, memorable way to convey what people need to know about global warming. Then I saw this and thought, Well, why shouldn't we have some fun with this too?
I hereby declare the Switchboard "Seven Words to Save the Planet" challenge open to all comers. At the end of the day on February 1, I'll proclaim a winner; the winning entry and contestant will be featured in our February "NRDC Online" email newsletter (which goes out to something like 100,000 people).
Here are a couple to get you started:
- Use energy. Not too much. Mostly renewables.
- Be efficient. Use renewable energy. Stay cool.
- Cap pollution. Reduce every year. Save planet.
You can top these… right? Show your stuff, using the comments form below.
Oh, and one more thing: We're not the New York Times – we need a little help deepening the talent pool. Help us beat the bushes, if you can spare a minute – maybe email this entry to friends and family, or (if you're into this sort of thing) send it to your FaceBook or MySpace friends, post about it on your blog, whatever else you can think of. And encourage everyone to whom you send this to do the same! Let’s see if together we can make a little noise.
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Comments
Joseph — Jan 23 2008 06:28 PM
Do something.Do it now. Be serious.
Joseph ss — Jan 23 2008 06:42 PM
Cut emission.Raise energy efficiency.Save lives.
Rita Barol — Jan 23 2008 06:43 PM
Unplug stuff. Get efficient stuff. Save stuff.
Full disclosure. I'm NRDC staff. Can't win.
Joe s — Jan 23 2008 06:48 PM
Renewable energy.Refine life style.Reverse catastrophe.
Matt Lashof-Regas — Jan 23 2008 09:17 PM
I like the reverse catastrophe part of Joe S's.
I'd go for something like:
Cap pollution. Use renewables. Reverse Catastrophe.
I know its only 6 words, but they are long, and I think it works anyway.
Jesse Jenkins — Jan 24 2008 01:02 AM
Climate Challenge. Our Greatest Opportunity. Seize It.
For more, see the Cascade Climate Declaration.
Jim Edelson — Jan 24 2008 01:31 AM
One Planet. One Chance. Let's work together.
A Siegel — Jan 24 2008 06:40 AM
Reduce use; Reuse things; Think about tomorrow.
Eric Stevens — Jan 24 2008 08:54 AM
Relax. It's all lies. Solve real problems.
Dan Lashof — Jan 24 2008 09:35 AM
Sorry Eric, your entry doesn't qualify. They have to be 2-3-2. Yours is 1-3-3. And by the way, the IPCC won the Nobel Prize for telling the truth.
Everyone else, keep those suggestions coming.
-Dan
Nick Berning — Jan 24 2008 10:34 AM
Penalize pollution. Consume less stuff. Planet prospers.
Apollo Gonzales — Jan 24 2008 10:58 AM
Walk more. Not for you. For the planet.
Jesse Ribot — Jan 24 2008 11:15 AM
“Build Sustainability—Outlaw Planned Obsolescence & Inefficiency.”
Alpha Beast — Jan 24 2008 11:32 AM
energy star. Energy Reduction program. unplug grid.
J Novat — Jan 24 2008 11:39 AM
Eat Organic. Conserve, Reuse, Recycle. Walk more.
Bryan — Jan 24 2008 11:44 AM
Global warming. Kills all animals. Except us.
Reynaldo Guerra — Jan 24 2008 11:55 AM
renewable energy: save money, people, entire planet.
Tim Herzog — Jan 24 2008 12:00 PM
Obviously plagiarized from (the movie) Wall Street:
Green is good.
Or in a meter:
Green is good. Green is right. Green works.
And here is the entire speech, substituting green for greed, reclaiming Gecko's infamous speech:
The point is, ladies and gentleman, that green, for lack of a better word, is good. Green is right, green works. Green clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Green, in all of its forms; green for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. And green, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA.
Okay, so it's perfect, but you get the point. Can you clip out the scene and get Michael Douglas to redub the monologue?
Apollo Gonzales — Jan 24 2008 12:03 PM
Curses, I broke the rules. How about:
Walk more. Take a bus. Or bike.
Rey Guerra — Jan 24 2008 12:05 PM
Renewable energy. Save planet, money. Everybody happy.
Paul Mackie — Jan 24 2008 12:11 PM
Tomorrow's Kids. Want a Planet. Save It!
David Robert — Jan 24 2008 12:15 PM
Need Less. Reduce Your Use. It's Simple.
Richard Engel — Jan 24 2008 12:38 PM
Love children. Produce fewer. Planet lasts longer.
Ruby Sinreich — Jan 24 2008 12:47 PM
Think more, about other people. Act more.
or
Do more. Think big picture. We're one.
ellen scordato — Jan 24 2008 12:47 PM
Consume less. Think, it's enough! For everyone.
Juliana Williams — Jan 24 2008 01:00 PM
Consume Less. Build Sustainable Communities. Cultivate Peace.
Sara Breckenridge — Jan 24 2008 01:06 PM
Consume Less. Save the Planet. Get Outdoors.
David Robert — Jan 24 2008 01:47 PM
2-3-2 format?
Karen Schwalbe — Jan 24 2008 01:52 PM
Live small. Dream big. Remember the children.
Tim Pine — Jan 24 2008 02:12 PM
Small footprints. No fossil carbon. Smaller families.
Choose moderation. Strive for equalibrium. Show others.
Honor nature. Stop worshipping stuff. Be content.
Kelly Levin — Jan 24 2008 02:20 PM
Value wellbeing. Not unnecessary stuff. Begin today.
Drew Bush — Jan 24 2008 02:28 PM
Cap carbon. Reduce pollution credits. Save lands.
Alba Garzon — Jan 24 2008 02:38 PM
Glaciers melt. Oceans will rise. Can't swim.
Tom Athanasiou — Jan 24 2008 02:53 PM
Wake up. Live well. Share the world.
Natasha Chart — Jan 24 2008 03:01 PM
Neutralize emissions. Change a politician. Buy local.
jojo — Jan 24 2008 03:01 PM
bigger hearts, smaller footprints - we all win.
George Washington — Jan 24 2008 03:02 PM
For EPA Administrator Johnson:
Tell truth. Grant California waiver. Then resign.
Claire Wilson — Jan 24 2008 03:06 PM
Buy less. Buy used. Use mass transit.
Molly Bonczyk — Jan 24 2008 03:15 PM
Think green. Just one planet. Save it!
Raechel Thomas — Jan 24 2008 03:22 PM
LESSEN footprint*LIVE sustainably NOW*save GAIA
Neil Frazer — Jan 24 2008 03:59 PM
Tax toxics, tax carbon, tax junk food.
Julie MacCartee — Jan 24 2008 04:06 PM
Go green. Lapse on occasion. Keep trying!
Eat local. Consume less. Make real footprints.
Efficient temperature control: Go swimming. Wear sweaters.
Stephanie Whited — Jan 24 2008 05:01 PM
Think tomorrow with clean air and water.
Sorry Nevada — Jan 24 2008 07:54 PM
Conserve energy. And get real. Open Yucca.
Carol Lashof — Jan 24 2008 08:15 PM
Grow smart. Use less stuff. Start now.
Karina Warshaw — Jan 24 2008 09:51 PM
Reduce Reuse. What's to Lose? You choose.
Sheridan Clark — Jan 24 2008 09:55 PM
Treat this planet graciously, for future generations.
Tracy Johns — Jan 24 2008 10:41 PM
Change habits. Not our climate. Start now.
Marah Hardt — Jan 24 2008 11:24 PM
For Sale. The Planet’s health. $3.49/gallon
jojo — Jan 24 2008 11:27 PM
hey! one of my entrys got deleted! ...was it because i used the f-word?
i'll try again....
we are not f**ked if we act now.
Hi Jojo -- yeah, the f-bomb got your previous submission yanked. House rules.
-- Ian @ NRDC
Anna K — Jan 25 2008 04:14 AM
Stop burning. Quit fossil fuels. Use renewables.
Richard Graves — Jan 25 2008 04:47 AM
Ignite Minds. Not Fossil Fuels. Awaken World.
Richard Graves — Jan 25 2008 04:50 AM
and of course..
Use Energy. Not Too Much. Mostly Renewable.
Pat Finnegan — Jan 25 2008 05:14 AM
DECARBONISE. NOW.
Why use 7 words when 2 will do? (>70% reduction)
Rosa Blaauw — Jan 25 2008 06:50 AM
Save It. Keep it clean. And green.
Aaron Fisher — Jan 25 2008 08:20 AM
Less eating, less travelling, less breeding, sorted
Rusty Pritchard — Jan 25 2008 08:46 AM
Worship God. Love people. Care for creation.
OK, so it's 2-2-3.
Ian J — Jan 25 2008 10:41 AM
Consume less, talk more.
Roque Pedace — Jan 25 2008 10:57 AM
Pay climate debts.Phase-out fossil.Before 2050.
Lark — Jan 25 2008 12:44 PM
Slow down. Don't be greedy. Live aloha.
Karen K — Jan 25 2008 12:47 PM
Reduce carbon. Drive Less. Breathe clean air.
Andy Alexis — Jan 25 2008 01:06 PM
Buy less. Drive less. Eat better.
jen l — Jan 25 2008 01:08 PM
Stop driving. Buy less stuff. Save mankind.
Todd Whitehead — Jan 25 2008 01:44 PM
Walk more. Dirty Shoe Soles. Clean planet.
Kathryn Fiske — Jan 25 2008 04:12 PM
Create a future
worth living.
Start now!
Joy Bergey — Jan 25 2008 04:49 PM
Clean energy. It's working. Let's make more. (with kudos to Smart Power, who originally came up with most of this.)
Jeff Lindberg — Jan 25 2008 06:50 PM
We can. We must. For the Future.
Consume less. Work near home. Start today.
Walk. Run. Ride. We don't NEED cars.
Ned Ford — Jan 26 2008 12:49 AM
Efficiency is the answer. What's the question?
Alec Duthie — Jan 26 2008 06:00 AM
Enjoy yourself - but don't make a mess
This is what I tell the kids. I'm usually thinking of having to clean up paints, mud, toys etc but the same advice is good for all of us. We're not going to save the world out of fear so we have to find ways to have fun without carbon emissions, toxic wastes, deforestation, global inequity etc. How about community engagement, celebration and local self reliance for starters?
Rita Barol — Jan 26 2008 09:58 AM
Me again. Still can't win. That's ok.
Renewables, efficiency. Consequently, pollution drops. Now legislate.
Kelley Greenman — Jan 26 2008 11:21 AM
Vote Green. Learn the Issues. And Vote.
Green president. We need one. So Vote.
Use Less. Buy Less. And Live Better.
Carl Pope — Jan 26 2008 04:48 PM
No waste. Sun, wind, good. Carbon sucks.
Andrew Voysey — Jan 27 2008 11:58 AM
Reduce use. Rebalance global levels. Be happy!
Andrea Sloan — Jan 27 2008 01:04 PM
Go green. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Save Earth!
Su Mo — Jan 27 2008 02:48 PM
Live caringly. Consider global community. Consume gently.
Barry Kantor — Jan 28 2008 03:22 AM
Thank Nature daily; and attune your consumption.
Andrew Wallace — Jan 28 2008 05:27 AM
Build a new society. Start at home
Ankur Agarwal — Jan 28 2008 07:10 AM
Your World. It's theirs too. Switch off
Your World. It's theirs too. Save Energy
Dan Abernathy — Jan 28 2008 09:59 AM
Conserve energy. Reduce your footprint. Everyone counts.
Kim Gyr — Jan 28 2008 10:24 AM
Save our genes, they're eternity, got it? or Women and children, they're eternity, got it?
Kim Gyr — Jan 28 2008 10:32 AM
Sorry, I didn't realize that the format was set:
genetic components, they're eternal life, got it? or: eternal life, women and children, they're it!
David Sassoon — Jan 28 2008 04:47 PM
Clean Energy. Sell the Technology. Make Money.
David Sassoon — Jan 28 2008 04:52 PM
Clean energy. Give it away. Don't tell.
Ros Leeming — Jan 29 2008 09:32 AM
Fact: Thinking green could save you money.
Ros Leeming — Jan 29 2008 09:32 AM
Fact: Going green could save you money.
Pamela Hesiey — Jan 29 2008 12:00 PM
get-out-of-your-car.org
john schneider — Jan 29 2008 12:31 PM
Clean energy, Green jobs. One living planet.
Conrad Squires — Jan 29 2008 01:11 PM
Save the earth. It's our home. Stupid not to.
Cindy Franklin — Jan 29 2008 01:40 PM
We can all do it. Start now.
Peter Miller — Jan 30 2008 02:43 AM
Consume efficiently. Use renewable resources. Offset remainder.
Laura Barmack — Jan 30 2008 10:42 AM
One ecosystem. Life on earth. Protect it.
Laura Barmack — Jan 30 2008 11:27 AM
Alternatively, punctuating to better advantage:
One ecosystem: Life on Earth. Protect it.
Dennis McGee — Jan 30 2008 12:06 PM
We urge all to be extremely proactive in implementation efforts in known solutions areas; less debate!
louis wilker — Jan 30 2008 04:58 PM
Unrestrained economic growth could destroy all life.
Elizabeth More — Jan 30 2008 05:06 PM
Mother Nature. All Living Beings. Act Now
Andrea Sloan — Jan 30 2008 11:23 PM
Plastics poison. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Try alternatives.
Hermann Ott — Jan 31 2008 09:27 AM
Use renewables. Stop burning coal. Be efficient.
Use renewables. Stop burning coal. Live smart.
Rosalyn Stewart — Jan 31 2008 01:24 PM
Less driving. Live near work. Save earth.
Gabriel Barreras — Jan 31 2008 02:00 PM
Buy local. Fly a little. Drive hybrids.
Genny Michael — Jan 31 2008 04:22 PM
Get buff. Bike to work. Righteous fitness!
Chris Dennis — Jan 31 2008 04:42 PM
One Life. Its one World. One Chance
Kate W — Jan 31 2008 05:48 PM
Dan, I know I can't enter but this is from my friend D. who wished to remain anonymous:
Drive less, turn stuff off, recycle more.
Kavita Prasad — Jan 31 2008 07:36 PM
Reduce, Recycle, Reuse & Save The Planet..
Pam Rothenberg — Jan 31 2008 10:34 PM
Think first
Less is more
Be conscious
Steve Kelley — Feb 1 2008 10:13 AM
Our planet. Can't replace it. Love it.
Rob Perks — Feb 1 2008 02:59 PM
Read blog. Laugh a little. Forget point.
louis wilker — Feb 1 2008 03:23 PM
sustain biosphere.restrain economic growth.cap capitalism
Thomas Jefferson — Feb 1 2008 03:53 PM
First, eliminate
Department of Energy.
Then OMB.
Carl Sagan — Feb 1 2008 04:26 PM
Consider Mars.
It's too cold.
Save Earth.
JP Devine — Feb 1 2008 07:38 PM
Raise kids. Consider their future. Act accordingly.