Environmentalism and marketing

November 16

Oh, you cynical, cynical blog readers.

In my most recent poll I asked you to complete this sentence: “I think the main reason restaurateurs are engaging in more environmentally sound practices is...”

Seventeen percent of respondents clicked on “To save money by reducing waste.”

Another 17 percent clicked on “Because they want to help protect the environment.

And 66 percent of you clicked on “Marketing.”

What dark souls you must have.

On the other hand, it’s not like our environment has only been imperiled since Al Gore made a movie about it. I was writing about global warming in college, in the late 1980s. Air and water pollution? Tom Lehrer was singing about it in the 1960s.

The first Earth Day was in 1970.

What has changed? Now environmentalism is cool.

So I guess you have a point.

I’m afraid I don’t have another poll ready for you, but when I do, you’ll be the first to know.