UN Chief Call to Ban Fossil Fuel Advertising is Harmful

The Secretary General39s call is wrong implementing it would be harmful to the very people that he claims he wants to protect and the fossil fuel situation is not at all the same as tobaccoLike it or not the vast majority of the world39s population is going to be dependent on fossil fuels for transportation food production shelter heat light and water for most of the next five decades Yes We all hope to see alternative energy taking over a lot of those needs but that is going to take timeEnabling consumers and voters to make smart and informed choices in energy consumption government policies on energy and the differences between those choices is critical Journalism media and advertising are critical forces in informing consumers and cutting off their primary information channels is poorly thought out and smacks of sensationalismAs then US President Calvin Coolidge told the American Association of Advertising Agencies today39s 4A39s in Washington DC in 1926 quotAdvertising creates and changes this foundation of all popular action public sentiment or public opinion It is the most potent influence in adopting and changing the habits and modes of life affecting what we eat what we wear and the work and play of the whole Nation Formerly it was an axiom that competition was the life of trade Under the methods of the present day it would seem to be more appropriate to say that advertising is the life of tradequotThose words are at least as relevant today as they were when he spoke to them almost 100 years ago We don39t want people to have less information on one of the most critical issues in the world today We want them to have more information and we depend on healthy news and information companies to get that information to people wherever they areRather than removing information about fossil fuels and the critical differences between different fossil fuels from the world39s information space we should endeavor to better inform consumers on how they can make better decisions in which fossil fuels they consume today and policies and practices for a speedy transition to a selfsustaining energy future that doesn39t alter our climate and make the world less livableFurther painting fossil fuels companies as the modern day tobacco industry is wrong The role that fossil fuels and tobacco play in humanity have little in common other than the fact that they are both combustibles Fossil fuels provide the world39s billions with the energy that they need to sustain life for themselves and their families Tobacco is a dangerous and addictive drug with virtually no positive valuesYes without question we need to transition the world from its dependence on fossil fuels That transition will be a long painful and expensive process It will not be solved or well served but grandstanding tactics like the Secretary General39s here The people of the world deserve betterPosted at MediaVillage through the Thought Leadership selfpublishing platformClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillageorgMyersBizNet

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UN Chief Call to Ban Fossil Fuel Advertising is Harmful

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Dave Morgan

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