Twenty-seven-year-old Brent Schulkin has a theory: The best way to stop global warming isn’t with radical activism, but by politely asking businesses to make environmentally responsible changes, and then rewarding the most cooperative business by inviting friends and friends of friends to buy exclusively from it. Schulkin, a former corporate team builder, tested his theory last March: He asked 23 minimart owners in San Francisco’s Mission District what percentage of their profits they’d be willing to put toward greening up their businesses. In exchange, he would invite the quickly multiplying network he calls the “Carrotmob” to shop at their store for two hours. Song Lee, owner of K & D Market, made the top bid of 22 percent. And much to his delight, some 400 people—lured by mass e-mails, Facebook and MySpace alerts, and neighborhood flyers—bought $9,276.50 worth of products, everything from Lucky Charms to compact fluorescent lightbulbs to whiskey. The store would ordinarily have grossed about $3,000, the manager says. Schulkin videotaped the event, even editing in a raunchy spoof of a Lil Wayne hip-hop video that he shot before the shopping began; he hoped mobbers would pass it along via e-mail or Facebook pages and attract more converts.…
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