Project Planet Invective

I want to begin this invective essay with the pronouncement that I am sensitive to the environment. I love the outdoors and have great respect for animal-life, plant-life, the climate, and the value of the many resources God has given us and the responsibility as stewards of our planet not to mistreat or waste those natural elements that benefit our lives as humans. To state I respect the outdoors does not truly give justice to my feelings. There are times when I am outdoors that I am so overcome with powerful emotions as to be considered a tree-hugging liberal and a nature lover. This morning, as I looked out over a beautiful lake in Arkansas, and saw its glassy smooth shine as it gently and tenderly kissed the land on either side, and looked up and saw the tall trees as they smiled down upon the water, and witnessed their arms full of leaves flirt with the baby blue sky, I once again was awed by the amazing glory of the world God created. We are called to have dominion over the earth, but not called to abuse it. We are called to love each other and that love must be extended to our world.

So why do I insist on inveighing invective against Project Planet?

The last several years, I have noticed a brochure in motel rooms called "Project Planet." In some ways, this is a brilliant marketing scheme devised by someone or someones with an incredible sense of how to deliberately and systematically guilt manipulate people. Hotels realized several years ago how much time and money (which in the business world are synonymous terms) they were spending on laundry each day. A hotel with 100 rooms would wash one or two sets of towels and sheets each day using up vast amounts of water, soap, and human resources for said endeavor--and all for the sake of having clean or fresh linens. There is no question this represents unusual and unnecessary waste and any kind of savings of water can only be beneficial. A hotel can spend $527 and receive 200 doorhangers, 200 pillow cards, 200 brochures, 2 posters, 20 stickers, and a training video. These materials are considered "starter" materials as the hotel develops its "image" as a lover of the planet.

The financial benefit alone is remarkable and can help the hotel economy. One owner said, "We have just completed our fist year of the cycle and our overall savings for the twelve month period was 26% a remarkable number that equates to $121,000 over the course of a year." With these dramatic savings, hotel owners can hire fewer staff, save time, and save on the wear and tear of laundry machines. In addition I, personally, see no need for a person to have a clean towel each day or clean sheets. A luxury like this sounds a little too bourgeoisie and elitist and somehow wreaks of ersatz sophistication and pretension without substance. In my view, it is just plain old nonsense for a guest of a hotel to expect "clean and fresh" towels and sheets everyday.

So what is the problem? The problem is the methodology and the propaganda.

I object to the method used by Project Planet and the hotels to convince us to hang our towels on the racks. I object to the constant propaganda and vicious visuals that are conjured up to appeal to our sensitive feeling side for the planet. I resent the implication that should I choose to place my towels on the floor, I am damaging the future of a baby bear or a giraffe or a rain forest or a beautiful waterfall. The green brochure tinted with red and gold from leaves and laced with blue water is meant to bring awareness to the human need to save the planet. As you rudely throw your towel on the floor, you can feel the sad eyes of the baby bear staring at you as he begs for a drop of water that you are depriving him by having your towel washed. And that beautiful waterfall (never mind that the water comes from a vast water table which is replenished by rainfall) is in danger of drying up and killing all plant-life in the region. That image of a giraffe reaching for his food in the tall trees is meant to haunt you as you ignore the plea to save his life by reusing your towel.

While I respect the right of a company to make money and I certainly recognize that exaggerated propaganda has been and always will be a technique to convince people to purchase a product, I also refuse to allow any seepage of guilt to inflict me as I make my own decision to use my towel again. I would prefer a sign that simply says, "You will save us time and money by using your towels and sheets again," rather than guilt manipulating us by "playing the planet card" and convincing us of our "valued" role in saving the environment. I ask for honesty in advertising. There is nothing wrong with saving the hotel money. There is nothing wrong with doing our part to save the planet. But there is something wrong with "tricking" the public into believing they are saving the planet rather than saving money.