Grist, a 10-year-old environmentally conscious website, has had it up to here with Earth Day, and it's not going to take it anymore. Waging war on Earth Day doesn't mean the people behind Grist will be lighting oil fields on fire and driving SUVs to the Costco, but it does mean they are imploring Americans to "Wake Up and Smell the Planet." The call to action is also the title of a Grist-produced book. To raise awareness this year, Grist is giving away the book and offering chances to win tickets to the Bonaroo music festival—and just when they had nearly shaken the sweaty-hippie-with-a-hackey-sack-and-a-didgeridoo label.
The site has began running a series of stories titled "Does Earth Day Still Matter?" and more often than not the answer is "No." The basic premise behind the "Screw Earth Day" campaign is along the same lines as when Bike Snob NYC said, "Instead of a 'Bike to Work Day' how about a 'Drive to Work Day'?"
"In many cases, Earth Day has been reduced to a sort of planetary sound bite," says Chip Giller, founder and CEO of Grist. "Well, we think that bites. Our campaign is sending the message that it's time to wake up and smell the planet: the environmental challenges of today require us to treat every day as an Earth day. One day is for amateurs."
