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What is this competition?

unheimlich manoeuvre

00:47 / 01.06.03

Shell and the Economist are running an essay competiton.
The ideologically unbiased question is "Do we need nature?"
http://www.shelleconomistprize.com/index2.html
What the f*ck are they playing at? Shell is one of the largest corporations in the world. It can afford think-tanks and market research companies.
If anyone can shed some light on their possible motivation i really would appreciate it.

SMS

01:16 / 01.06.03

These sorts of competitions are not unusual. My international relations teacher from last semester has entered a few. I suspect they want, as they say, "to encourage future thinking."

It is very difficult for me to think that instructions to go research a subject and write a convincing argument about it are somehow sinister.

If you wonder whether it makes good business sense to simply give money away, I cannot say, but $65,000 is relatively little for Shell and the Economist. It cannot be bad publicity.

Less searchable M0rd4nt

08:39 / 01.06.03

As SMS says, $65,000 is a tiny sum for massive organisations like Shell. The competition will generate publicity for them. They can choose a suitably pro-nature essay to wave around, thus helping to create the impression that they give a toss about anything but money.

We're The Great Old Ones Now

21:18 / 01.06.03

Well, for sixty five grand, I have to say I might just bang something out.

unheimlich manoeuvre

00:44 / 02.06.03

SMS wrote [b]It is very difficult for me to think that instructions to go research a subject and write a convincing argument about it are somehow sinister.[/b]

hmmm... probably my neurosis again... i was just so angry. "do we need nature?" my arse. bloody descartes and his dichotomies. as if culture and nature were opposites.

*stops fuming*

many thanks for your answers.

SMS

01:14 / 27.11.03

If anyone's interested, they've picked some essays, available in PDF format here You click on the thing that says "click here to enter the site" and it opens a little window that looks like a pop-up ad, but then you have to click on "winners" and then "2003 - Do we need nature" Then you can see the PDF files and download them at will.

Cat Chant

08:08 / 27.11.03

It is very difficult for me to think that instructions to go research a subject and write a convincing argument about it are somehow sinister.

Really? You don't think that the idea of Shell setting the terms in which thinking about nature is to be framed is a wee bit disturbing?

No star here laces

08:44 / 27.11.03

Oh come on, Deva, I hardly think that Shell running an amateur essay-writing competition is exactly going to define the nature of the environmental debate for the next 50 years!

I mean, people have been talking about this stuff for a while...

Also: read the winning entry, it's really rather good.