Expert: Earth Day (April 22)

Each year, Earth Day—April 22—marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970.

Hamish van der Ven, Assistant Professor in the School of Environment and the Department of Political Science at McGill University

“This Earth Day, environmentalists may justifiably feel frustrated with the lack of a political response to climate change. In lieu of placing their hopes in politicians, perhaps it is time for environmentalists to channel the full force of their outrage at publicly traded corporations. Big branded retailers, in particular, have reputations and share prices that are sensitive to public pressure and social media outrage. This Earth Day, concerned citizens should vote with their wallets, their Twitter accounts, and their investment portfolios to maximize their impact.”–Hamish van der Ven

Hamish van der Ven is an Assistant Professor in the School of Environment and Department of Political Science at McGill University and the author of Beyond Greenwash: Explaining Credibility in Transnational Eco-Labeling. Find him on the web at hamishvanderven.com and on Twitter @hvdv_phd.

hamish.vanderven [at] mcgill.ca (English)