[Tom_77]

Saw this advert on TV last night. All part of a campaign about driving less by swapping to a bike for short trips.

So far so good, but this is all brought to you by Esso. So I’m struggling to understand why a company is encouraging people to use less of its product. It would be like a Greggs ad encouraging you to go easy on the pies.

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[chrisonabike]

We’re all tangled up.

We’re all tangled up.

It’s a lot from a few of “them” but also all those tiny contributions (conscious, inadvertent, doesn’t matter) of the many of “us”.  And they’re organised (being organisations) whereas “everyone” isn’t.

We could definitely do more – but the more change the (much) harder it is to sell.

Although quite a few people say they’d like to “go and live atop some moor” very few of us have the acceptance of change, compromise or the energy to seriously detach from the system ([1] [2] [3]).  (And sometimes the system will come and drag you back! [4] [5]).

As for the companies it’s likely that those at such companies are much more strongly motivated to keep going and growing than almost any other group is to clip their wings.  Except perhaps other oil companies – when it’s not more in their interest to cooperate / form cartels.

[hawkinspeter]

The oil companies are trying

The oil companies are trying to fool people into thinking that they’re not our enemies despite their decades of sabotaging environmental science and debate.

At some point we’re going to have to choose between our survivial and the oil companies’ survival and they’re desperately trying to push that point into the future. It’s the kicking the can down the road method of not actually addressing the issues.

[Sportivod]

Just to add to the irony here

Just to add to the irony here, the advert is filmed on and near Chobham Common which is a large area of wilderness in Surrey (just next to Longcross Studios, which is probably why it was chosen). The ironic bit is the ‘environmentally friendly’ ad takes place in this designated AONB (on a car-less road, which is usually chocca with fast 4x4s BTW), which currently has a 20 meter-wide scar cut across the entire thing, from just near where the advert ends, right through to the Longcross Estate (home of the ruler of Dubai) – well over a mile – caused by the installation of Esso’s latest pipeline for oil!!! It couldn’t be made up!

__PRESENT

[NotNigel]

That bike is screaming for

That bike is screaming for one of them old skool top tube mount kiddies seats

[HoarseMann]

Can’t find the same kid seat

Can’t find the same kid seat on the internet, but this one is similar and looks to be well engineered and safe…

https://www.urbaniki.com/en-gb/child-bike-seats/folding-bike-child-seat/

[HoarseMann]

The ‘honk’ was the only

The ‘honk’ was the only reference that you might have to share the road with drivers. Not a single moving vehicle visible in the entire video – very reminiscent of a car advert, carefree empty roads etc…

They had the helmet angle covered, but no high vis and riding at dusk without lights! 

Also – why such a ropey looking old bike and a lethal looking kiddie seat that you could quite easily slip off the back of! Not even anything solid for the kid to hold on to! Scream if you want to go faster?!

[quiff]

Why are they doing it? ESG

Why are they doing it? ESG risk.

Maybe a better analogy is it’s like Greggs offering a vegan sausage roll.

https://www.clientearth.org/latest/press-office/press/clientearth-files-climate-risk-lawsuit-against-shell-s-board-with-support-from-institutional-investors/

[HoldingOn]

Weird – comments are turned

Weird – comments are turned off on the YouTube video. I wonder why.

I like the inclusion of the “honk” that he has to shrug off.
 

[Author]

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