Save our Planet -> Donate Money [WWF]

Just before Christmas I was at Trafalgar Square in London as a huge ice sculpture of a polar bear caught my eye. I was slightly taken aback by its ugliness, as in the enormous metal skeleton that was coming out of it.

Than all of a sudden, caught out by my own interest (stupid me), this young over-eager guy hops in my way and I know already that I will stay a while. (Don't get me wrong... I'm not an evil person, but charity people not only scare me, but also strangely annoy me..)

So there he goes on and on if I get the point of the sculpture (well duh... obviously, who wouldn't) and then he tells me about global warming and the Copenhagen Summit and what the WWF organisation is trying to do about it. (oh and rescue the polar bears along the way...)

So he asks if I would like to sign a petition, to save the polar bears. Well he was in luck, since I happen to like polar bears quite a bit and would not mind signing a petition to help a cause. However, this signing actually did not require my signature.... as you might have guessed... but actually all my personal details, from age, address, phone number... (I know... stupid me) All in the name of this petition... and there will be no phoning up or passing onto third parties, he said.

So off I went to enjoy my Christmas break in a few European countries.

Get a call from WWF whilst I'm abroad on holiday. 1st time. Say I am on holiday, so can't talk.
Later get a call from WWF in England. Miss the call. 2nd time.
Get a call from WWF again about 4 times the same week until I pick up.

And off it goes... "We saw that you signed our petition, well you know what happened? Nothing... so we need you to donate this much per month... would you do that?" <> "How about this much?" <> "This much?" (By now he has gone down to £3 a month) So I say I would much rather look at their website to find out what they are really about as an organisation. But here's the catch. According to this WWF 'volunteer' I cannot donate on their website....

Well I 'politely' said goodbye and WWF leave me alone.

Let me explain this story. I am not some horrible cruel person who hates the world, but at the same time I know very well how many if not most charities work. £3 a month will not even closely cover admin costs that will go on to promoting their cause to that one person (i.e. me). Not to mention supporting and helping some endangered animal.

What is more, if you do go on their website, you may find, that if you donate or subscribe to their magazine, not only do you get gifts for your donation (panda key ring, shiny papers), but you also get a thick glossy magazine to tell you how great it is what you are doing, and how you are helping all the pandas, chimpanzees and so on.

Now please tell me if this makes sense?

Shiny thick glossy magazines probably cost a lot of money. Not only that, paper comes from trees, and shiny glossy paper comes from trees plus uses a lot of chemicals etc to get produced.

Saving the environment?

I don't think so.