In
celebration of Earth Month (Earth Day is April 22) JetBlue is launching a
"GreenUp" effort. It's a
contest. Consumers nominate their
favorite environmental-focused nonprofits and the winner receives a $20,000
grant; three runner-ups receive $5,000 each.
Consumers
who participate are entered in a separate contest where the winner will have
their carbon footprint retired and runner-ups will receive free tickets. All participants are being invited to join
JetBlue's volunteering efforts. (Gazdik,
2019)
Interesting. Millennials
talk a lot about being green.
Unfortunately their actions do not follow their words. Research shows that the older you are the
more green you are.
According to a Harris Poll of 2,000 U.S. adults,
here's the percentage of people who regularly recycle in each age range:
·
65+: 54%
·
35+: 48%
·
35 - 44: 43%
·
18 - 34: 33%
Clearly there's room for
improvement across the board. (Leblanc, 2016)
But
that having been said, Millennials do like to be considered green. So they would undoubtedly welcome becoming
part of a "green tribe." That
might bode well for the "volunteer with us" part of the effort. And entering a contest is a relatively low
commitment that anyone can participate in.
But
what about actually switching airlines?
The
video that JetBlue posted on YouTube makes their case by noting that they are investing in fuel savings technology and planting trees. You can watch it here...
But per
mile, per passenger, flying is the most greenhouse intensive mode of transportation. One cross country round-trip produces emissions
equal to 10.5% of an average American's
annual carbon footprint.
And
based on this chart is appears that JetBlue is below average in fuel efficiency
versus other airlines. Not that there
seems to be much difference.
But of
course most people won't check the research so it's unlikely that this
knowledge will influence them. But they
may see the video or other elements of the campaign. Which brings us full circle.
So,
will you watch the video and participate in JetBlue's contest? Will you join their volunteer efforts? Most importantly, will you fly JetBlue if
other lower price choices are available?
What do you think other Millennials will do?
Gazdik,
T. (2019, April 8) JetBlue Launches 'GreenUp" Effort. mediapost.com. Retrieved April 9, 2019, from https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/334195/jetblue-launches-greenup-effort.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headline&utm_campaign=113437&hashid=ybq2buULrntyGS6NfbELk0afrrI
LeBlanc, R. (2016, September 9) Recycling Beliefs Vary Between Generations,
Says Study. thebalancesmb.com. Retrieved
October 23, 2018, from
McDonnell,
T. (2015, June 5) Here's Why Obama Is
Cracking Down on Airplane Pollution. motherjones.com. Retrieved April 9, 2019, from
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