The Nature Conservancy is taking a new stripped-down approach to environmental protection: The green group is teaming up with the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue and online luxury retailer Gilt to raise money for beach preservation.
UTNE Reader apparently does not approve. Some readers term it "an unholy mashup of sex, commerce, marketing, publishing, and environmentalism."
Why the green tie-in? "Because everyone benefits from pristine tropical beaches. Especially when they’re occupied by gorgeous women in bathing suits."
That’s according to promotional prose about the partnership on the Gilt website.
Gilt will be selling Sports Illustrated-themed swimsuits, surfboards, photos, and other merchandise on its site, with all ecommerce sale proceeds going "to preserve the beaches SI features in its pages," reports Folio magazine.
Not everyone is sold on the mission. "What’s next for The Nature Conservancy?" wrote a commenter on Folio. "Partnering with porn sites?"
By David Wilkening
