Support conservation, not spam

[NudeDiver]

I got this spam from PADI just now:

Support Coral Reef Conservationwith a Project AWARE Replacement Card Go green! Show your support for conservation with the <http://www.projectaware.org/english/conservation/c-card.aspx>Project AWARE version of the PADI certification card dedicated to International Year of the Reef 2008.

With a donation of just US $5.00 or more above standard processing, you£Íl receive this card featuring the beauty and diversity of threatened coral reefs.

Now - call me crazy...but if I want to support conservation, wouldn't it be a lot more effective for me to keep my current c-card, and just send the $35 or whatever to a conservation agency, rather than sending $35 to PADI so it can keep most of it and spend $5 or so on conservation?

Cut the pay for all of your employees and corporate officers to $40K/year max and donate the excess to independent conservation agencies and then maybe I'll consider giving you some extra money.

 

[bigtim6656]

got to pay to play i guest. I would take a guest and say alot of people will buy it. IT shows they donate money to some group. kind of like the little yellow plastic braclet. I know a person who donates 20 bucks to a local hosptil every xmas because you get a card on the wall with your name on it at the door. but he will not drop a dollar in the salvation army at the local stores.

 

[NudeDiver]

Yeah - people are a sucker for a gimmick.

 

[seaducer]

I got this spam from PADI just now:

Now - call me crazy...but if I want to support conservation, wouldn't it be a lot more effective for me to keep my current c-card, and just send the $35 or whatever to a conservation agency, rather than sending $35 to PADI so it can keep most of it and spend $5 or so on conservation?.

I got one once becuase I liked the picture. I remember impressing some girls on a dive trip once, so I guess it wasn't all bad

But yeah, you are better off being very particular about what charities you donate to. It is sad how much of your donation often goes to soliciting more donations

got to pay to play i guest. I would take a guest and say alot of people will buy it. IT shows they donate money to some group. kind of like the little yellow plastic braclet.

You mean a LiveSTRONG band? Those cost a buck, and are often giveaways at charity functions. I give them away all the time.

FWIW I and most everyone else I know who wears them do so in support of or in memory of someone who has or died from cancer, not as a status symbol.