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| Headline |
Author |
Published |
Section |
If By Clean You Mean Filthy
On clean coal |
Umbra Fisk |
23 Jul 2008 |
Ask Umbra |
| Dear Umbra, I noticed that several of the presidential primary debates were sponsored by clean coal. This was announced during breaks and several commercials aired. I have since seen several more commercials and online advertisements. Is clean coal an oxymoron? Is this a PR stunt or are there any real environmental benefits to clean coal that rival solar and wind? See www.americaspower.org. Andrew S. Brookline, Mass. Dearest An ... |
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| Topics: advice, air pollution, Ask Umbra, climate, green living, greenwashing, mercury, shenanigans, toxics (all these topics) |
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Greenwashing Goes Green!
Consumers tiring of ads with sketchy eco-claims |
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18 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 12:26 PM on 18 Jul 2008 As every business and its mom tries to get in on the eco-friendly craze -- actual recent press release to hit our inbox: "Portable hot tubs go green!" -- consumers seem to be tiring of omnipresent greenwashing, say analysts. "After 18 months, levels of concern on any issue tend to drop off," says Jonathan Banks of market research company Nielsen. "I fear that someth ... |
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| Topics: advertising, business, greenwashing, news (all these topics) |
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New definition of green
Cabins are not 'earth-friendly' |
biodiversivist |
15 Jul 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Green: A marketing scheme used to sell environmentally destructive crap to unthinking dupes. Here's an eco-fantasy article crafted to sell second homes. Scaling from the French doors in one picture I calculate that this 'cabin' is twice the size of my own two-story, two-bath, four-bedroom home in Seattle. Half of this visible wall is window, having half the insulation value of a typical wall:Located 50 feet from the house are two solar-tracking arrays with a total ... |
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| Topics: advertising, green building, green living, greenwashing (all these topics) |
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To convene is not green
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JMG |
07 Jul 2008 |
Gristmill |
| The Democratic Party, nominee already selected, has apparently noticed that flying thousands and thousands of people to a meeting with no purpose has some significant environmental costs. So let the greenwashing begin! |
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| Topics: air travel, greenwashing, politics (all these topics) |
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Finding common ground in green
Sierra Club and Clorox celebrate their partnership |
Guest author |
05 Jun 2008 |
Gristmill |
| The following is a guest essay from Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club, and Don Knauss, chair and CEO of the Clorox Company. ----- This year, Earth Day was bigger than ever, which prompted some hand-wringing over whether too many people were jumping on the green bandwagon. Wait a minute: Earth Day, too big? Didn't we want everyone on this bandwagon? Sustainability is a challenge we all face; our response to it could well define the 21st century. If ... |
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| Topics: business, green cleaning, greenish companies, greenwashing, Sierra Club (all these topics) |
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BCause I Told You So
Eco-parents unimpressed by 'green' Barbie accessories |
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12 May 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 1:09 PM on 12 May 2008 Barbie BCause, toymaker Mattel's attempt to appeal to the green-minded tyke, has turned out to be not so popular with green-minded parents. The line of patchwork-y Barbie accessories made from cast-off fabric has inspired a blogging backlash. "The eco-conscious young girls I know of steer clear of Barbie," wrote Jennifer Lance on blog Eco Child's Play. "Truly green families ... |
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| Topics: business, green living, green products, greenwashing, news, parenting, recycling, shopping (all these topics) |
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The Pennsyltucky perspective
No difference between McCain and Dems on climate |
Glenn Hurowitz |
22 Apr 2008 |
Gristmill |
| I got home yesterday from canvassing for Barack Obama in the outskirts of Harrisburg, Penn. and found last week's edition of The Patriot-News (whose politics reporter, Brett Lieberman, describes the state as 'Pennsyltucky' for its unique mix of urban, industrial, and backwoods), including a 'Find Your Match' voter guide with a chart that's supposed to help people figure out which candidate is closer to them on key policies. Here's what the chart said about Obama, Clin ... |
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| Topics: climate, elections, greenwashing, messaging, Pennsylvania, politics, presidential race 08 (all these topics) |
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Fortune Brainstorm Green
Monsanto CEO applies for sainthood |
David Roberts |
22 Apr 2008 |
Gristmill |
| I'm watching the CEO of Monsanto, Hugh Grant, talk about how his company is a boon to sustainability. They're focused on reducing the footprint of agriculture and feeding the world's hungry -- especially poor African women. Oh, and also they're dedicated to reducing water use. All the farmers that use their seeds love them, and clearly their products are superior since the farmers keep coming back. Oh, and they spend $2 million a day on R&D, so they'll figure out ... |
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| Topics: agriculture, Big Ag, biofuels, food, greenwashing (all these topics) |
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The spy who greened me
Bond film to feature greenwashing eco-villain |
Sarah van Schagen |
08 Apr 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Everyone's favorite secret agent is at it again -- and this time he hopes to live and let Greene die. That's right, Craig (Daniel Craig) is filming the next Bond flick as we speak type. Quantum of Solace continues the storyline that began with Casino Royale and finds Bond shaken (not stirred) by the death and betrayal of a loved one. He wants revenge, and he points a (Gold)finger at "eco-entrepreneur" Dominic Greene (the man with the green gun?). Play ... |
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| Topics: business, celebrity, green living, greenwashing, movies (all these topics) |
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Fossil Fools Day roundup
Activists worldwide target coal plants and banks |
Ted Nace |
01 Apr 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Rainforest Action Network's Matt Leonard provides this roundup of Fossil Fools Day actions targeting coal plants, coal minings, and the banks funding it all. Rising Tide (North America, U.K., and International units) spearheaded these efforts and others. Cliffside: 8 Arrested as North Carolina residents shut down construction at Cliffside coal plant At 6:30 a.m., North Carolina residents locked themselves to bulldozers to stop the construction of Duke Energy's massive C ... |
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| Topics: business, campus activism, coal, energy, fossil fuels, grassroots activism, greenwashing (all these topics) |
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The Clorox debacle continues
Sierra Club removes leadership of its Florida chapter |
Guest author |
28 Mar 2008 |
Gristmill |
| The following is a guest essay from Peter Montague1, executive director of the Environmental Research Foundation. ----- The Sierra Club's national board voted on March 25 to remove the leaders of the Club's 35,000-member Florida chapter, and to suspend the chapter for four years. It was the first time in the Club's 116-year history that such action has been taken against a state chapter. The leadership of the Florida chapter had been highly critical of the national ... |
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| Topics: business, Florida, green cleaning, greenwashing, Sierra Club (all these topics) |
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Cotton the Moment
Misleading cotton ads banned in U.K. |
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13 Mar 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 10:07 AM on 13 Mar 2008 Poster and magazine ads by the U.S. cotton industry have been banned in Britain. The U.K. Advertising Standards Authority can put the kibosh on advertising deemed to be greenwashing, and regulators took issue with the cotton ads' claim that the crop is "soft, sensual, and sustainable." The ad authority pointed out that cotton is a "pesticide- and insecticide-intensive crop" and can " ... |
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| Topics: advertising, agriculture, business, green living, greenwashing, news, United Kingdom (all these topics) |
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No one is safe
Strongbadia gets a gulp o' greenwashing |
Ashley Braun |
22 Feb 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Remember that goofy 'toon site Homestarrunner.com and its boxing-gloved, email-answering hero, Strong Bad? Well, apparently not even web cartoon characters are safe from the fierce green gaze of environmental imperialism: his readers finally call him out on his lack of eco-initiative. So what does Strong Bad do to help save the planet? You mean, besides watering flowers with recycled cigarette butts? (Hey, he did switch from using bleach!)Fortunately, S ... |
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| Topics: green living, greenwashing, websites (all these topics) |
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Scrambling to Go Green
Cadbury eggs will come with less packaging |
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19 Feb 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 10:16 AM on 19 Feb 2008 Cadbury Schweppes, the maker of the Easter season's omnipresent sugar-yolk-in-a-chocolate-shell, has unveiled an alleged "eco-egg." No, the goopy white innards aren't organic; no, the chocolate isn't fair trade. The "eco" aspect comes merely from the eggs being sold unboxed, reducing packaging waste. So which came first, the greenwashing or the egg? sources: The Guardian, BBC ... |
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| Topics: business, food, greening biz operations, greenwashing, news, waste (all these topics) |
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Letter to the editor: forest certification
Kathy Abusow of Sustainable Forestry Initiative responds to Grist's green-buying tips |
Grist |
12 Feb 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Here is a letter to the editor from Kathy Abusow of Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Inc., written in response to our article featuring tips for buying green products and avoiding greenwashed ones. ----- Dear Editor: I am writing in response to an article that your website ran titled 'Is It Really Green?' It was disappointing to read your statement about the Sustainable Forestry Initiative StandardŽ (SFIŽ). The fact is, SFI is an independent nonprofit organization and ... |
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| Topics: consumerism, deforestation, green living, greenwashing, logging (all these topics) |
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Greenwashing Index
See how easy it is being Green(TM)! Just use Greenwash! |
JMG |
30 Jan 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Luckily, some folks at the U. of Oregon are tracking it. |
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| Topics: business, greenwashing (all these topics) |
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Remains of the Today
Grist's Today show appearance falls through, fans mourn |
Grist |
29 Jan 2008 |
Gristmill |
| To all our devoted fans who sat in front of the TV this morning waiting for a Grist-tacular appearance on NBC's Today show, we apologize. Due to Today's relatively tight schedule and an earlier interview that ran overtime, Grist's Katharine Wroth was pulled from the show before she made it on stage. Alas, the world is a much less-informed place than it could have been.As a consolation, you can read some of the tips Katharine would have offered, now conveniently expunged of a ... |
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| Topics: business, green living, green products, greenwashing, shameless self-promotion, TV (all these topics) |
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Absolut greenwashing?
Vodka maker launches global cooling campaign |
Sarah van Schagen |
18 Jan 2008 |
Gristmill |
| In a partnership with Live Earth (yes, they're still doing stuff), Absolut Vodka has launched a Global Cooling campaign that "encourages consumers to reduce the effects of global warming by offering simple steps they can implement in their daily lives." As part of the campaign, Absolut is sponsoring the Live Earth Film Series, a collection of short films that will make the rounds at various film festivals this year -- starting with Sundance ... |
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| Topics: business, climate, consumerism, food, green living, greenwashing (all these topics) |
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Let Your Commission Be Your Guide
Federal Trade Commission reviews environmental marketing guidelines |
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08 Jan 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 9:59 AM on 08 Jan 2008 With consumers becoming more and more concerned about greenwashing, the Federal Trade Commission has agreed to review its voluntary environmental marketing guidelines. Today the agency is holding a public forum addressing carbon offsets and renewable energy credits, the first in a series of workshops designed to review the guidelines, which have not been updated ... |
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| Topics: business, carbon offsets, greenwashing, news (all these topics) |
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Proof that 'beyond petroleum' was greenwashing
BP joins 'biggest global warming crime ever seen' |
Joseph Romm |
19 Dec 2007 |
Gristmill |
| The tar sands are rightly called one of the world's greatest environmental crimes, as I've written. No company that invests in the Canadian tar sands can legitimately call itself green. Yet BP, the oil company that lavished millions on advertising its move 'Beyond Petroleum,' announced this month it's putting $3 billion into this dirtiest of dirty fuels! BP is buying a half-share of the ironically named Sunrise field: 'BP's move into oil sands is an opportunit ... |
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| Topics: fossil fuels, energy, oil, greenwashing, business, oil sands (all these topics) |
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Go and Greenwash No More
Green products largely guilty of greenwashing, says study |
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20 Nov 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 2:46 PM on 20 Nov 2007 A study of 1,018 "green" products from big-box stores has found that all but one were marketed with false or misleading eco-claims. Researchers from TerraChoice Environmental Marketing called out products for committing the "Six Sins of Greenwashing": a hidden tradeoff (e.g., toxin-loaded electronics touting their energy efficiency); no certifiable verification ... |
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| Topics: business, green living, green products, greenwashing, news, shopping (all these topics) |
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Honk if You Love Hypocrisy
Big Auto unveils efficient cars, continues to fight against strict efficiency standards |
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14 Nov 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 1:28 PM on 14 Nov 2007 When the L.A. auto show opens to the public on Friday, automakers will flaunt hydrogen cars, super-efficient engines, electric vehicles, and hybrid SUVs -- leading some to wonder at the disconnect between car manufacturers' public-facing "green" ambitions and their vocal opposition to a significant increase in federal fuel-economy standard ... |
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| Topics: Big Auto, business, cars, fuel efficiency, greenwashing, Los Angeles, news (all these topics) |
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Those greenwashing Chevron ads
The greening of Chevron is not as impressive as they'd like you to think |
Joseph Romm |
02 Oct 2007 |
Gristmill |
| Those greenwashing ads are really starting to bug me. 'It took us 125 years to use the first trillion barrels of oil. We'll use the next trillion in 30.' And you're proud of this fact -- proud of your role in bringing about the wholesale destruction of this planet's climate? Will you join us? No, I won't. I'm trying to figure out a way to get people to use a lot less of your polluting product. And now, 'Chevron Announces New Global 'Human Energy' Advertising Campaign ... |
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| Topics: business, greenwashing, messaging (all these topics) |
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Knocked Krupp
Is Environmental Defense leader Fred Krupp a savvy dealmaker or a stooge? |
David Roberts |
01 Oct 2007 |
Gristmill |
| I keep meaning to link to The New Republic's thoughtful profile of Fred Krupp, head honcho at Environmental Defense: Krupp, of all environmentalists, has been the most successful in persuading the corporate world--and those who support its interests--to embrace the green cause. Among his accomplishments, Krupp has helped convince McDonald's to abandon Styrofoam for paper, Wal-Mart to stock energy- efficient light bulbs, Duke Energy to invest in wind power, and Fede ... |
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| Topics: business, climate, energy, greening biz operations, greenwashing (all these topics) |
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Curses, Oiled Again
Chevron ad says renewables are great, oil is greater |
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28 Sep 2007 |
News |
| Posted at 12:14 PM on 28 Sep 2007 A new TV commercial on energy and the environment debuts this weekend. The swooping camera shots of glaciers and freeways will be familiar, but the voice-over may not: "Our lives demand oil." Yes, the 2.5-minute spot, airing in eight languages around the globe, is an effort by Chevron to urge humanity to seek out alternative energy -- while continuing to cling to fossil fuels. Aim ... |
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| Topics: Big Oil, business, energy, greenwashing, news, TV (all these topics) |
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