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Greenwashing 101
Lots of things claim to be 'green.' But, sometimes, these claims are based on just a sliver of information and seem to ignore other parts of the process that can even harm the environment. In this article, Stefan Peter-Contesse shows us how to spot "Greenwashing" and what to do about it. Think about car companies advertising their new 'fuel efficient' line of SUV's shown crawling over rocks in pristine environments, or those new biodegradable plastic bags that may break down better than traditional plastic bags, but still rely on large amounts of petroleum in the production process, or large energy companies partnering with wildlife preservation organizations while at the same time pushing legislation to drill for oil in environmentally sensitive areas like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). These images and campaigns so prevalent in our media represent an attempt by many organizations, both political and not, to cash-in on a movement where green business is good business. We have witnessed a revolution with the greening of business in the last decade. It is not only the responsibility of individuals to make changes, to care; it is the responsibility of the corporations, government, and small businesses to make those necessary changes as well. It makes environmental sense to reduce waste, use less energy, support sustainable materials and manufacturing processes, but it also makes business sense. As an increasing number of businesses are adhering to this mindset, others are attempting to capitalize on it through the use of greenwashing. Greenwashing is the misrepresentation or falsification of either positive or negative environmental impacts. It is typically visible through marketing and advertising campaigns. The tenth edition of the Oxford Dictionary defines greenwash as "disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image". Often, greenwash is difficult to notice and the average consumer can be knowingly or unknowingly affected by it. As informed consumers and citizens, we can make the effort to care, root out misinformation, and hold these organizations accountable for their perceived actions and public appearance. There are many resources that help the average consumer weed out organizations involved in greenwash. Here are a few I've found helpful:
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CommentsStefan commented, on March 31, 2008 at 10:33 a.m.: Very true Deevon, though I think that one could also call that greenwash if the cause were an environmental cause. If it were another type of cause, perhaps a new term needs to be made up...any ideas? I do agree with you that this is another large problem but similar tactics used to uncover greenwash can be used to uncover this type of false and misleading advertisements. Lindsay commented, on April 2, 2008 at 8:32 a.m.: This was a very interesting article! I did not know what greenwashing was before I read this. It definately makes you become more aware of what is actually being advertised versus what is being done. Thanks! Maureen commented, on April 22, 2008 at 1:43 p.m.: Thank you for opening dialog on this issue. It's unfortunate that this information isn't mainstream yet. I know we'll get there someday soon. The information you're putting out there is a great tool for sharing it. Post a commentYou must be a registered user to post comments. |
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DeeVon commented, on March 28, 2008 at 5:39 p.m.:
The article on greenwashing was interesting but what happens even more often is that businesses use a lot of time and money to advertise a contribution to a cause, when in fact the cause rarely receives much benefit from it.