Earth just needs to cool down with an Ice Cream

Ice Cream brand Ben and Jerry's have set up a Climate Change College, which has sent two young people committed to tackling climate change to the arctic to understand the problems better. The two people selected, Lesley Butler and Neil Jennings (pictured), will also spend the next 12months as ambassadors to spread the word about climate change. Some have criticised Ben and Jerry's saying that this programme really isn't enough, but Ben and Jerry's themselves have been honest that it is just a drop in the ocean and that its intended as just one initiative to encourage individuals to play their part in tackling climate change.


The critics' real worry is probably more due to the fact that Ben and Jerry's the company to Unilever, which has eroded some trust in the brand and has led to some assuming that whatever they do now is not in the true spirit of Ben and Jerry's, but just a cold marketing exercise. Jerry Greenfield admits that there is some regret about the sell out, but the Climate Change College is a project organised by the Ben and Jerry's foundation of which he is President. He was also honest about the role of business, suggesting that making blanket criticisms of business is not helpful. He acknowledged the importance of business ethics and said that "If you want to have a business that is based on values, you can do that and still make money". Quite right.

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