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Prudent Avoidance:
Beware Greenwashing
July/August 2006
By Linda Mason Hunter
©
2007 Linda Mason Hunter. May not be reprinted without
written permission of the author.
The Oxford English Dictionary
defines greenwash as a noun meaning, "Disinformation
disseminated by an organization so as to present an
environmentally responsible public image."
The organization Corporate Watch goes
further to define the term as:
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"The phenomenon of socially and
environmentally destructive corporations attempting to
preserve and expand their markets by posing as friends
of the environment and leaders in the struggle to
eradicate poverty."
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"Environmental
whitewash"
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"Any attempt to
brainwash
consumers or policy makers into believing polluting
mega-corporations are the key to environmentally sound
sustainable development."
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"Hogwash"
Greenwashing techniques include:
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Seduce with image ads |
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Impress with environmental projects |
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Distract from destructive products |
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Gain sympathy by focusing on
solutions |
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Avoid regulations by claiming they
will solve the problem themselves |
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Tug at heart strings with their
concern for the world's poorest people |
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Misuse the word "sustainable" in
corporate responsibility reports |
Ten Worst Corporate Greenwashers
Don't be fooled. Study actions, not
words. Here are the ten worst corporate greenwashers,
compiled by "The Green Life" (www.thegreenlife.org)
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Ford Motor Company |
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BP |
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United States Forest Service |
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Chevron Texaco |
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General Motors |
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Nuclear Energy Institute |
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Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers |
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TruGreen ChemLawn |
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Xcel Energy |
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National Ski Areas Association |
Walk Softly
How can you know whether a product or
action is sustainable or not? Follow these three basic
rules:
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Does the product use a renewable
resource?
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Can it be disposed of in a safe
ecological manner, without polluting the environment?
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Does it employ appropriate
technology. Such technologies tend to be
inexpensive, readily available to all members of a
community, and capable of being produced locally.
They are labor intensive rather than energy intensive,
and minimally harmful to the environment, and do no
violate the humanity of those that use them.
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 PROJECT:
Calculate Your Ecological Footprint |
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How much space does your lifestyle require? Find out.
Calculate your own ecological footprint by taking the quiz
at
www.myfootprint.org.
Then, you can compare your Ecological Footprint to what the
planet can sustain.
Adjusting your entries or playing with the Reduce Your
Footprint calculator will show how lifestyle changes affect
the Footprint size. Enter simple goals for your life on the
Action Calculator (such as a pledge to eat less meat) and
find out how many acres of land you could save just by
implementing that goal. Post your goals in a place where you
can see and review them every day. |
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ON THE AIR |
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Dec. 29-Jan. 2, 2009
Dec. 22-26, 2008
Dec. 15-19, 2008
Dec. 8-12, 2008
Dec. 1-5, 2008
Nov. 24-28, 2008
Nov. 17-21, 2008
Nov. 10-14, 2008
Oct. 27-31, 2008
Oct. 20-24, 2008
Oct. 13-17, 2008
Oct. 6-10, 2008
Sept. 28-Oct. 3, 2008
Sept. 22-26, 2008
Sept. 15-19, 2008
Sept. 8-12, 2008
Sept. 1-5, 2008
August 22-29, 2008
Aug. 18-22, 2008
June 30-July 4, 2008
June 23-27, 2008
June 16-20, 2008
June 9-13, 2008
June 2-6, 2008
May 26-30, 2008
May 20-23, 2008
May 11-18, 2008
April 6-13, 2008 |
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