iBloom: Green is Universal’s latest digital application

Image from GreenisUniversal.com 

I first heard about iBloom when a friend of mine sent me a link to download it the other day.  She knows I have a lot of interest in environmental and green activities and knows I even have a (Lil) Green Patch on Facebook.  So she thought I might appreciate the new Green is Universal iBloom application.  Unfortunately since I don’t have an iPhone I didn’t download it, but it did get me interested in finding out more.

For those of you not familiar with GreenisUniversal.com, it was launched by NBC Universal last November to show their commitment to bringing “an environmental perspective to our networks, our platforms, our audiences, our communities…in fact, to everything we do.”

The iBloom application is one of their latest “green” activities.  The iBloom application apparently allows you to virtually plant a seed and watch it grow.  You can water it, feed it and protect it from pollution so it can grow into a happy flower and you can make it to the next level.  Sounds kind of cool….personally I like the Facebook (Lil) Green Patch application though because for every ten friends you send a virtual plant to, you are helping to save 1 square foot of actual rain forest from deforestation.  (I’ve saved over 70 sq ft so far.)  Maybe the iBloom application has a similar feature that allows you to do something for the environment not just virtually but in reality too.

But, regardless of whether the application has actual environmental benefits like cleaning up pollution/trash at your local beach, or cutting down harmful emissions by using an effective fuel additive, or conserving water, or recycling your bottles and cans or even planting a real tree in your own yard, the launch did make a difference.  As part of the iBloom launch, Green is Universal (in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation) committed to donating 10,000 trees to parks and schools across the U.S. during Earth Week.  So long as someone waters the real-life trees, feeds them and protects them from pollution, I’d say that’s a good benefit.