Manhattan

Carrotmob Manhattan is currently determining which lucky West Village bar will host the borough’s first event. Soon we’ll have a venue that promises to spend a certain percentage of their Carrotmob revenue reducing their carbon footprint. You may be wondering what changes, exactly, that business might undergo.

How this fortunate Carrotmob victor chooses to green-ify is up to them, but past Carrotmobs in other cities often involved retrofits. Perhaps the simplest example is switching to more efficient light bulbs (e.g., CFLs). Maybe the company will improve its insulation, buy and install more efficient appliances, or add timers to efficiently regulate temperature controls. Alternately, the successful locale could switch to a more recyclable packaging of their products or stop selling a certain item known to be environmentally detrimental.

Another interesting commitment for businesses to consider: here in Manhattan, the main power supplier is Con Edison. Did you know that you, as a resident or small business owner, can now request that your consumption come from a renewable, green source? You even have a choice! Pay an extra one cent per kilowatt hour for “green” power (65% small hydro power, 35% wind) or buy 100% wind-generated power for 2.5 cents more. While eventually the cost may go beyond the initial amount the company made during its Carrotmob, using green energy is a great bragging right for a bar to attract New York City’s environmentally-aware crowd. (For the “Green standard” in NYC bar/clubs, check out the eco-friendly and lush Greenhouse of SoHo.)

Because we Carrotmob activists are always thinking long-term, we’ll clue you in on where we’d eventually like to expand our Manhattan Carrotmob ventures – social responsibility. As we attract participation and public interest, hopefully one day we’ll encourage businesses to engage in socially accountable policies like providing group health care options for employees or participating in fair trade for international goods.

For now, keep sending us your input by commenting on this blog or sending us an email. More info on our maiden event is coming very soon!

Carrotmob Manhattan has arrived!

What IS a Carrotmob? It’s a group of consumers who combine their purchasing power to encourage businesses to change in socially and environmentally responsible ways. It’s also knows as a “reverse boycott”–we use a dangling carrot instead of a stick.

First event? Drinks! We took a bite out of  Hoboken’s carrot and washed it down with a brew, deciding to throw our first reverse boycott at a bar. Who says environmental activism can’t be a party? We’ll ask a number of bars in the West Village to bid on a chance to be the first Carrotmob Manhattan venue. The business that pledges to invest the largest portion of profits made on specific Carrotmob dates toward reducing their carbon footprint wins the bid. Simple enough, no?

Meet Carrotmob Manhattan so far: We’re Ari & Laura, volunteers and happy Manhattan dwellers with an eye toward a new brand of activism. We’ll use this space to post information about upcoming events, update you on our progress, distribute promotional materials, and solicit your advice.

If you’ve got suggestions of your favorite bars in the W. Village, add them to the comments below or shoot us an email.

Want to get involved? Beyond future drinkers at our first Carrotmob, we’re seeking people to help us with the planning stages of the event. Specifically, we’d love input from someone with a little more green expertise than us, who can help us create our pitch to the bars.

Check back for updates or follow us on Twitter!

For more on Carrotmob jump to the video below  or read the
Time article that generated quite a bit of buzz.

-Ari & Laura