Posted by Greg on December 2, 2009

By Damian Thompson, Telegraph-
Fanatical about climate change? Then you’ll want to get to know Futerra, “the sustainability communications agency; from green to ethical, climate change to corporate responsibility”. As their website explains: “Sustainability, green, climate change, fair trade, ethical, CSR, eco-chic … be part of the revolution.” Though it will cost you, of course.

Actually, it already does cost you, since Futerra advises DfID and Defra. Likewise if you pay a licence fee, because – as the excellent Biased BBC website points out – the company’s clients also include the BBC. Indeed, Futerra is proud of the connection:

Various BBC teams have enjoyed training sessions on communicating sustainable development. Participants have ranged from producers for EastEnders to researchers on the CBeebies channel. We also developed the creative PR strategy for the launch of the BBC’s online ethical fashion magazine

EastEnders? Blimey. (”Can I have a word? It’s about Peggy. She’s still using those 100 watt lightbulbs.”) But it’s no surprise that the CBeebies are part of the deal: BBC children’s programmes are wall-to-wall green sermons these days. And how exciting to discover that we’re paying for an “online ethical fashion magazine”. Lord Reith would be delighted, because if there was one thing he couldn’t stand it was unethical fashion mags.

Futerra’s website induces that trapped-at-a-party-by-a-halitotic-vegan panic. “Traditional and accepted messages tend to fail on this new issue,” it gushes. “We don’t want to re-invent the wheel, but in an era when car manufacturers have to totally re-think their engineering perhaps even wheels are in question.”

Needless to say, it is full of disdain for anyone who challenges the AGW orthodoxy: its blog deplores “the misrepresentation of selected quotes from the stolen Tyndall Centre emails (nicely and conveniently timed in the run-up to Copenhagen don’t you think?)”. Still, at least Futerra can take comfort from the fact that its clients, the BBC, have done their best to play down Climategate. Auntie is “part of the revolution”, bless her!

Link to Story: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/damianthompson/100018294/how-the-...