Monday, July 14, 2008

Who's afraid of greenwashing?

It seems that a lot of people are afraid of greenwashing. But maybe the fear of greenwashing is overblown says Joel Makower, dubbed "the guru of green business" by the Associated Press.

Over at his Two Steps Forward blog, Joel says:

is greenwashing — "disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image" — on the rampage? I think not. Dubious marketing claims are problems that need addressing, but it's part of the growing pains of a new market. The rise of green marketing claims is a testament to how quickly being seen as green has become of importance to companies. Isn't that what all of us wanted to see happen?

Greenwashing represents the naturalizing of green as a meme. It demands scrutiny by all of us, and action against the egregious actors. But, in the end, as the saying goes, it's all good.
I agree. When businesses make green claims, it means they're seeing the value of being green. And that's a "problem" that I'm glad to have.

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