Is it me or...

[Erik Sine]

Is ISA (at the hands of a few) just hell bent on steering this industry in the opposite direction via their marketing crew (i.e. the Broccoli eater) from where this country and others are trying to recover from, directions that have had nothing but failure?

I don't know about you, but I've been barraged by email and in other social media outlets with ISA and their "Case" study with "Acorn Sign Graphics. I can't dodge it, I can't dodge the case study headlines which is complete waste of time IMO, ot as they like to put it....a waste of carbons.

Has anyone seen this video? Who puts stock into this? As if California wasn't as bad, but now the Eco-Tyrannical libs now run the marketing department of each and every sign association too? Tell me it isn't so, I thought California, my bankrupt state is an project idea, a model of how not to run a state, how not to let a lunatic fringe take over and run an asylum. Business's are leaving by the bus load. The Eco-Fringe just shut down my local San Onfre power plant due to "Environmentalism", WANNA guess what my electric bill is going to look like soon?

Soon in our Sign Syndicate video updates you're going to see Kgirl pedaling a manual generator for the power just to shoot the video while talking. We'll also be using Axiom's Rudolph LED Emergency lights for the lighting instead of the tungsten 500 watt lamps we normally use.

ISA Promo http://www.signs.org...Video.aspx.aspx

I mean, to make this front page news all over and announce it proudly, and make it "Real"? I thought it was now the general consensus that Man Made Global Warming was made up fiction to generate money like the Y2K scare. (Here's an article on growing glaciers) When's the last time we've heard from Al Gore? ISA didn't get the Memo? Or is AL Gore working for ISA as a consultant?

Here's another big promotion they've been active with

White LED Systems Replacing Fluorescent Lighting in Box Signs

As white LED efficiency of light output increases, so is the usage of LEDs in box signs. Learn the ins and outs of this technology and its capability to replace fluorescent.

Attendees will learn:

• the benefits of LED;

• key factors in Return on Investment;

• the right time for LED to replace fluorescent;

• the different LED system approaches for different cabinet sign sizes; and

• unique needs for different applications.

Price: Members: $69, Nonmembers: $99

Presenters: Jeff Nall & Matt McConnell, GE Lighting Solutions

I thought these were back page ads? Remember back in the day when comics were twenty five cents and in the back of the comic books they use to have all those small science fictions ads like "Sea Monkeys" and "UFO Cars" that you could buy? Now it's "Save the Planet", these movements change legislation.

Seriously, when is ISA going to denounce instead of announce this garbage? I thought associations where here to protect the industry not pass out and litter propaganda to kill sectors of our industry? Why not a seminar that discusses the pro's and con's of light sources. A seminar that measures REAL data?

Again, Seriously who pays to attend an event....Who pays to listen to a company market to them their products with bad misnomers and myths?

Should we put more stock into P.T. Barnum's famous saying?

They're point in a direction that we're all trying to get away from, that's from regulation, High taxing "Green Energy"initiatives/programs etc from our government which was put in place by lobbyists and marketers to begin with, marketers similar to who our associations and trade magazines have morphed into.

They...the associations and media rags, who are a minority with small minded minority individuals, are trying to use their power to dictate to this industry, which direction it should be going. Which directions we should push on our customers, the consumers. This is all done for nothing more than money, and relationships, THEY'VE built, and there's nothing more to this than THEM gaining. You have the few who gain in advertising money and obligations, and you have the few who gain by spreading their "ideology" on others. The dangerous part is, it doesn't stop with simply spreading their "Ideology", it get's dangerous when the they change/lobby law and they use the government to enforce their ideology. When that happens you and I loose.

Here's my comments and exchange with the Broccoli Eating ISA/CSA Marketer on ISA's LinkedIn group about the video. I'd just read this if you have extra time on your hands, I mean "Extra"....maybe during a bathroom break where you're sitting on the pot and there's nothing more to read.

Erik G

Acorn has to be kidding right???

Green is all about spend more and get less in return, same for Energy Star, MFG's just pay for a label and the dumb consumer pays more to "Feel Good".

Why do you think the government always has to subsidize the programs, and business (renewable energy) that are failing left and right?

The only thing that makes sense which is not being "green" is obviously emailing more and saving in postage, that's just simple progression from the horse and buggy to a car.

Good luck to Acorn Graphics who's spending more time in cost and labor to make something fit their Birkenstock mentality, buy hey at the same time I'm sure it's easing whatever guilt is being fed to them by "guilt/fear marketing". If they think they're doing the earth a favor by using different higher cost products then I wish them well in fantasy land.

At least the entertainment value of the video was good with all the "feel good" stuff, I bet the owner is a Grateful Dead groupie :)

I don' know why ISA supports or wastes it's time with this stuff, there's so many other valuable ways to spend the time and money than the green movement.

Teresa Young

Very much enjoyed seeing the case study, Sapna! What struck me was the simple ways that small changes can be implemented - very accessible. We do always use the UPS option of carbon offset - for a nickel, it's surprising how far that goes. UPS matches, up to $1million per year, to support certain sustainable orgs. UPS delivers an average of 15 million packages and documents in more than 220 countries and territories, so you can imagine how important sustainable practices are. They've reduced costs tremendously by adopting solar in some facilities, structuring their routes for "no left turns" in very specific ways, etc. So just that one tip from the video, add the carbon offset to the package, if used by everyone who ships via UPS, the impact is significant. I also appreciate that sustainability in terms of ISA is not simply "planet." I think your goal of balancing "People, Planet and Profits" makes the most sense. What business in these economic times would take on "green" if it cost them their bottom line? Not even WalMart, a huge proponent of zero-carbon footprint, would give up green (profits) for green (movement). In fact, the largest corporations today have been spearheading this migration to "green" for a long, long time. This infographic (love infographics!) has some good stats, http://tinyurl.com/3b37lsa and the CEO quotes seem to underscore the vision of sustainable practices intimately tied to business practices and the bottom line. Stakeholders, stockholders, keeping people employed, all of this comes into play. I was glad to see how much this sign company saved by reuse, reduce, and recycle - which the "hippies" first introduced to us in the late 60s early 70s ;) I am old enough to remember that! And I have saved money with a green web hosting platform, with new overhead lighting, and by bringing my canvas bag to the grocery store (they give me a nickel for that!). Hmm, I then turn around and give that nickel to UPS... does this qualify as recycling? ;) Or reusing?....

Erik G

Solar and renewable energy, good topic.

If a company wants to pay out of their "own" pocket for solar, for their facility, I'm all for that. But I don't want to pay for someone eles's hobby in the form of rebates, grants or utility incentives. We should not have the government subsidize our tax dollars for these projects. It's stealing from Paul to give to Pete. Utility companies tax extra for these projects, this is why Ocean Spray a large beverage company left New Jersey to Pennsylvania. It made better sense for Ocean Spray to leave a state who has a large renewable energy tax, and high energy costs to pay for these failing programs. Chris Christy was too late in striking down the Cap & Tax law, and jobs were lost.

Renewable energy needs to make it on their own without stimulus money or other forms of government subs.

If it makes sense for Walmart to go GE LED another government subsidized company and rebate program then again, where are we? Let's produce lamps and products that take 500 watts to save 5 watts? If large companies pay for it on their own all power to them, if they want to pay more for image all the power to them. But in the free market if they pay for it on their own I hop they can compete with their competition like Target and others.

Have to love Hippies of California too, that's why business's are leaving and our states bankrupt. Regulation stacking on top of regulation. Can't even build a much needed energy plant. The wisdom is to "Conserve" instead of build more i.e. Title 24 which is a joke and business killer. CA is the worst state on how to NOT to run a state.

I thought it was interesting how even ISA President stated that marketers and companies are trying to get our clients to go "hippie" errrr, "green", that the clients themselves are not asking for it, I wonder why their not asking? Maybe because it's get less in return?

http://www.myprintre...report-part-one

Carbon studies, don't get me started on that joke science and how it get's twisted and manipulated.

But hey, if you want to go green all the power to you and good luck. Just do it all on your OWN dime and compete with the open & free market on your own merit

BTW, is there a ISA Subcommittee that does studies/reviews on actual science with numbers and facts when it comes to energy and lighting to go along the Greeny subcommittee? One that studies true "Return on Investment"? Might be a profitable program for you guys with seminars and webinars, only it might conflict with ideology and membership. :)

Teresa Young I think energy and lighting is in the technical committee - some UL seats, engineers, a PhD or two - they work on the studies with universities, etc. The greeny people, like me ;) will be notified of research findings, etc. and can recommend education or other resources where it applies to the sustainability subcommittee. The Gov. Affairs committee fought against a mercury ban, taking accurate dosing into account. No conflict there for our People, Planet, Profits goals. But if anyone wears fur at the meetings, they are kicked out.... Kidding!

I agree -- CA is a mess financially and bureaucratically. And that we (as individuals and companies) should be able to choose sustainable practices that make sense, and not be taxed or penalized in order to force our hands. As the open market (ie, consumers) make a choice for less petroleum or to avoid those ridiculous giant plastic wrappers within wrappers requiring chain saws to open, we'll probably all find more economical choices that require fewer natural resources to manufacture. As Peter Drucker said, "The future? The things that got us here will not get us there." It's an evolving set of practices, and I may be foolish in this regard, but I do think we will find our way to Sensible Sustainability. Hey, I'm going to copyright that...

Erik G

Interesting.

Have yet to see any public statement from any Sign Association about the Mis-Characterization of Neon or Fluorescent lamps by our trade Magazines, Assoc Seminars, or Government Program/Agencies. Again, this is due to the Assoc. "Ideology and Membership" Makeup. Relationships dictate.

On the Merc issue vs. iMERC and NEWOA, ISA presented the data in Vermont (Credit them), the data or studies were developed by manufacturers who were in jeopardy, not ISA. Nor were these companies work or time spent ever credited by ISA or cost/time compensated. Since that time Associations have yet to fight the public opinion on these light sources, in fact they've done a good job in omitting defending the light sources by promoting UL-E and other Green movements. Again "Ideology/ Membership" makeup

In CA, Petroleum and plastic bags, that's government with a manipulating minority picking a winner not the free market or consumer.

One interesting fact on plastic grocery bags, there is a misnomer that these bags do not degrade in our landfill, quite false, (found this out in my kids science project in our own backyard). Did you also know that there has never been a direct study on degradation? Facts were actually skewed and manipulated from other studies and applied to this movement. So some pay a "tax" to use a plastic bag in a grocery store.

"Green" is nothing more than the new "Red", red as in "communism" where government forces it's hand in every Americans lives when it's enforced.

[signeye]

As an association supporter I just found this a dated piece of information...If people don't think shops have been using their scraps for the last 50 years or so they are nuts...Most shops are lean by nature as most are so small lean practices are automatic. On large production floors this can make huge differences though and again, most are already on the wagon from many years back. I saw a lot of things that most shops have been doing for years. This should have been run about five years ago if not ten. Acorn just cleaned up the shop and put a new face on it from what I can see.

It was a good piece if you don't know the industry that well, seemed fluffy to me...I will finally say good for Acorn that this is working for them and I hope they continue to support the ISA.

[Erik Sine]

Yes, yes, yes!

You just hit the bigger point to all this on the head. It is VERY dated, and very common place. So WHY is this front page news?

Because they are hi-jacking a few common sense points to fit an ideology/agenda, and stamp it into their "green movement". Going to email from postage is not "Green" nor saving the planet, nor about putting less emissions into the air. If that's the concern, using a computer run on electricity does that too. It's about speed using email not waiting for the post office to deliver a memo, and about saving money not using a stamp. See, this simple point just got turned into something else.

This is all part of the three golden keys to the base of the "Green Movement" Link

The three golden keys to the "Green Movement"

#1 - Create a problem

#2 - Skew scientific data and studies

#3 - Fear market, and market based on public guilt.

This is dated, but it's been skewed for something else. Some of the information in the video make no sense at all, that's where the skewing is added. Who wants to spend more time creating something by using saved materials where it costs more money in labor and time than to buy new? They say it's done to "Save the Planet", so to speak.

Now as an ISA supporter, what about the rest? Have you seen a fairness seminar when it comes to lamps an energy put into a logical perspective? Where real data and numbers is used? Not where small facts of a bigger picture brought forth, cherry picked data, and omissions of other data are used to fit a marketing ploy to sell one light source over another?

I have not.

Matter of fact have you ever read anything put out by the association that would point a majority to believe ALL light sources have their pro's and con's, and not just one? Have you ever read an announcement put out by ISA disputing marketing misnomers published by it's members or partners? If so many within the association (volunteer base) also think so, which a few have been on this site and said so, then why hasn't it been voiced? It's so easy to market and demonize, execute and never explain....but yet it's so hard for this association to come forward and tell the straight facts with easy numbers and easy data to disprove.

This is all about a few within, fitting this into the agenda, and into the three point system of the Green Movement. Why do others sit idly by, and let a minority run and hijack their establishment, I have no idea.

I won't let that happen without a voice of opposition here.