Getting lost in “green” messages
I've spent the last week in Boston and New York, riding subways that people in the Pacific Northwest can only dream about.
But while riding those subways (which are largely, at least in NYC, responsible for why the average person's carbon footprint is so low) it struck me that green is becoming mainstream so quickly, it's becoming many things to many different people. And often, because the message isn't defined, it gets lost.
It happens in the definition of a "green building:" really, does LEED make a building green? What about a regular building that uses Energy Star appliances and PVC-free paint.... that's in the middle of nowhere?
It happens in materials: FSC wood... is it really green to use South American or European wood, ship it to Asia to be milled and ship it back to use in your Seattle home?
And in happens in advertisements. Take the subway in NYC for example. On one train, overhead signs urged riders to recycle newspapers in recycling bins. On another, overhead signs begged newspaper readers to just throw their papers away to keep the subway clean. If you're going to advocate one message, which is more important? Recycling or cleanliness?
That example represents the entire green movement. There are so many different messages out there, it's easy to get lost. Especially if you're a new "convert," it's really easy to be misled. Sometimes it's intentional "greenwashing," sometimes it's just plain confusing.
For Earth Day this year, I got a press release from Horizon Air about how flying between Portland and Seattle was more eco-friendly than driving. I got another from Fairmont Hotels and Resorts and Lexus Hybrid Living on eco-friendly luxury suites in San Francisco and Washington, D.C., that are "the ultimate cosmopolitan experience for environmentally aware travelers." Guests get organic towels, robes and free use of the Lexus LS 600h hybrid.
Is that really green? Who's to say. The truth is it's such a new field and word that just about anything can be spun the right way. And often, what really is "green" just gets lost in the spinning.
To learn more about greenwashing, click the tab below. To see what consumers think about "green" products or share your reviews, check out this site.
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Welcome to the Daily Journal of Commerce Green Building Blog. Our focus is on green building issues in Seattle, the Pacific Northwest and anywhere that might interest you. If you have any comments or questions, please email maudes@djc.com.
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June 13th, 2008 - 05:12
I agree with you on this article. I find with all the certifications out there for products and as well as the marketing of products, if is very confusing. There is tremendous green washing and I wish there was one certification that products had to go through to have a “green” label. It would make it so much easier for consumers.
I love the cartoon that you used. It is so true. Anna http://www.green-talk.com
June 14th, 2008 - 08:38
Distilling all of the information out there on what it means to be “green” can be very confusing. I agree with you that there are many who really “stretch” their marketing to make it appear they are green.
I ran into the same problem myself when I wanted to build green.
The following page on “what is green?” in the website http://www.building-your-green-home.com cuts through the fog and “greenwashing” that has become so prevalent today. It offers a definition of “green” that isn’t a bunch of hogwash (excuse me, “greenwash”!)
You are so right – a company isn’t “green” just because they say so!
I enjoyed this article very much.
June 14th, 2008 - 08:40
Distilling all of the information out there on what it means to be “green” can be very confusing. I agree with you that there are many who really “stretch” their marketing to make it appear they are green.
I ran into the same problem myself when I wanted to build green.
The following page on “what is green?” in the website http://www.building-your-green-home.com/green-building.html cuts through the fog and “greenwashing” that has become so prevalent today. It offers a definition of “green” that isn’t a bunch of hogwash (excuse me, “greenwash”!)
You are so right – a company isn’t “green” just because they say so!
I enjoyed this article very much.
June 17th, 2008 - 09:21
The problem with every one becoming environmentally minded is that companies want to cash in on it. It’s really up to the consumer to research the products they buy and the companies that are producing them.
Dagny
http://www.onnotextiles.com
organic apparel
July 7th, 2008 - 14:23
Hello webmaster My name is Megan, and I have been searching the web in regards to Luxury Hotels for what seems like ages now. Its really nice to know that someone out there is really writing great articles about Luxury Hotels. I\’ll be back to read other articles you have. Signed this day (Monday).
February 10th, 2009 - 06:17
In my country (India) there is an age old joke on the ‘easiest way’ to catch a hen.
“Keep a lump of butter on the hen’s head early in the morning as it leaves the nest. The butter will melt soon and will blind the hen, making it easy to catch the hen…”
This whole GREEN thing reminds me of this old joke of “won’t you have to catch it to keep the butter?”.
But then to the present generation that doesn’t KNOW that chicken is not ‘MANUFACTURED’ by factories….. any green wash can be hyped and sold. Have seen companies shouting “save a tree” and recycling envelopes as a ‘green movement’ on one hand and sending heavy colourful brochures of their products to 100′s of addresses (of which half are in-accurate!) on the other
I fully agree with your views and hope that someday people will reach a stage of real Green…