1. GREENWASHING… Misleading America

2. What is Greenwashing?  “Greenwash” is defined in the 10th edition of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary as the “ Disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image.”  “Greenwashing,” a term derived from the term “whitewashing,” was coined by enviromental activists to describe efforts by corporations to portray themselves as environmentally responsible in order to mask environmental wrongdoings.  “Greenwash” is defined in the 10th edition of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary as the “ Disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image.”  “Greenwashing,” a term derived from the term “whitewashing,” was coined by enviromental activists to describe efforts by corporations to portray themselves as environmentally responsible in order to mask environmental wrongdoings.

3. What’s wrong with Greenwashing?  It is misleading!  It attempts to trick us into believing that a company with an awful environmental track record actually has a good one.  It is misleading!  It attempts to trick us into believing that a company with an awful environmental track record actually has a good one.  If one corporation gets away with greenwashing, then other corporations will follow, thereby creating an illusion of being environmentally friendly.

4. Who is Greenwashing? A closer look at who is “greenwashing,” and how they are successfully marketing false advertisements.

5. Kraft’s Post Selects Cereals  Kraft’s Post Select cereals have falsely promoted its cereals as having “natural ingredients” when in fact the corn used in the cereal is genetically engineered!

6. BUSTED!!  The Kraft website displays this Post Select Great Grains Crunchy Pecan cereal, and its ingredients. Lo and behold, the ingredients mention nothing about processed corn! Kraft mentions “whole grain” a couple times, making you automatically think NATURAL!!

7. Tyson Chicken  Tyson Chicken is also guilty of falsly advertising their products. They promote their chicken as “all natural” even though they treat their chicken with antibiotics!

8. Another Guilty suspect!  Nutrition Facts  Serving Size 1 Piece (85g)  Serv. Per Container 0.00 About 8  Amount Per Serving  Calories 130  Calories from Fat 60  % Daily Value*  Total Fat7g11%  Saturated Fat2g10%  Cholesterol45mg15%  Sodium540mg23%  Total Carbohydrate1g0%  Dietary Fiber0g0%  Sugars1g  Protein17g34%  Vitamin A 0%  Vitamin C 0%  Calcium 0%  Iron 0%  *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.   Nutrition Facts  Serving Size 1 Piece (85g)  Serv. Per Container 0.00 About 8  Amount Per Serving  Calories 130  Calories from Fat 60  % Daily Value*  Total Fat7g11%  Saturated Fat2g10%  Cholesterol45mg15%  Sodium540mg23%  Total Carbohydrate1g0%  Dietary Fiber0g0%  Sugars1g  Protein17g34%  Vitamin A 0%  Vitamin C 0%  Calcium 0%  Iron 0%  *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.  After looking on the Tyson Foods website, I could not find anything about them injecting their chickens with antibiotics. The nutrition facts above say nothing about injecting their chickens. But of course they wouldn’t put it on their website, that would ruin their business!

9. Comanche Trace  Comanche Trace is a commercial developer. They claim that their golf courses are “great habitats,” even though golf course deplete natural habitats and use pesticides that poison groundwater.

10.  Active IngredientPotential Health Effects*  Benfluralin Decreases red blood cell count and hemoglobin concentration  Benomyl Causes low birth weight  Chlorpyrifos Impairs nervous system function  Dicamba Toxic to fetus  Diquat Causes cataracts  Disulfoton Impairs nervous system function;causes optic nerve degeneration  Pendimethalin Toxic to liver  Propoxur Impairs nervous system function  Thiophanate-methylDecreases sperm formation, causes hyperthyroidism  Thiram Toxic to nervous system  Triadimefon Decreases red blood cell count  Active IngredientPotential Health Effects*  Benfluralin Decreases red blood cell count and hemoglobin concentration  Benomyl Causes low birth weight  Chlorpyrifos Impairs nervous system function  Dicamba Toxic to fetus  Diquat Causes cataracts  Disulfoton Impairs nervous system function;causes optic nerve degeneration  Pendimethalin Toxic to liver  Propoxur Impairs nervous system function  Thiophanate-methylDecreases sperm formation, causes hyperthyroidism  Thiram Toxic to nervous system  Triadimefon Decreases red blood cell count  I found a table on the different types of ingredients in the pesticides that are used on golf courses. Any habitat with these types of ingredients in their pesticides is far from a “great” place.

11. Clairol  Clairol has claimed their line of Herbal Essences shampoos offer a “truly organic experience,” even though the shampoos use chemicals such as sodium lauryl sulfate, propylene glycol and D&C red no. 33, which are all not organic.

12. Fragrance(s)/perfume(s) PEG-15 cocopolyamine Linoleamidopropyl PG-dimonium chloride phosphate PEG-120 Methyl glucose dioleate PPG-5 Laureth-5 Glycerin Propylene glycol Ethanol/SD Alcohol 40 Citric acid Dimethyl octyndiol Panthenol D&C Violet # 2 Lauramide diethanolamine (DEA) Sodium lauroyl sarcosinate Lauryl sulfate DEA Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) Glycol distearate D&C Orange #4 FD&C (or D&C) Yellow #5 Ammonium lauryl sulfate DMDM hydantoin Sodium chloride Water Here is a list of some ingredients found in Clairol’s line of Herbal Essences shampoo. For a shampoo that is supposed to give you a “truly organic experience,” sure has a very long list of inorganic ingredients. And to think this is only half of the list of ingredients! A Truly INORGANIC Experience

13. General Motors  General Motors has falsely promoted its cars as environmentally friendly, with ads that have their SUV’s in natural habitats as if they were as natural as the surrounding trees. Ford, for example, has launched the new Escape Hybrid. What they fail to tell the public is they only produce 20,000 of these cars a year, while continuing to produce almost 80,000 F-series trucks per month!

14. Why Greenwash?  With the rising concerns of global warming, people are becoming more and more aware of the dangers that will arise if they don’t take the needs of mother earth into consideration. People are looking for environmentally friendly products that are good for the environment and their personal health. Corporations turn to greenwashing to make themselves look more environmentally friendly so that they can keep their customers coming back. If corporations were up front with their environmental wrongdoings, customers would most likely take their business elsewhere.

15. In Conclusion Greenwashing has become a very popular way for corporations to get ahead of their competitors. It is a way for corporations to make themselves more marketable by hiding behind a mask and concealing their true colors. Not only has greenwashing fooled the general public, but it has made many corporations extremely prosperous. With the amount of competition out there, it doesn’t look like the end of greenwashing is anywhere near. Greenwashing has proven itself a workable solution for the many corporations using the technique, but at the same time, has stirred up a lot of discussion. Greenwashing will continue to be utilized by many corporations and the consumer will continue to buy. In a world where the fight to the top is a never ending battle, greenwashing will continue to be the tool of choice. Greenwashing has become a very popular way for corporations to get ahead of their competitors. It is a way for corporations to make themselves more marketable by hiding behind a mask and concealing their true colors. Not only has greenwashing fooled the general public, but it has made many corporations extremely prosperous. With the amount of competition out there, it doesn’t look like the end of greenwashing is anywhere near. Greenwashing has proven itself a workable solution for the many corporations using the technique, but at the same time, has stirred up a lot of discussion. Greenwashing will continue to be utilized by many corporations and the consumer will continue to buy. In a world where the fight to the top is a never ending battle, greenwashing will continue to be the tool of choice.

16. LINKS  GE’s Greenwashing http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2005/05/13/ges_greenwashing.php  Greenwashing Junk Food http://www.lime.com/blog/savasthi/7189/greenwashing_junk_food_/  Turn up the Heat http://www.turnuptheheat.org/  Some Companies Find It’s Not Easy Marketing Green http://www.brandweek.com/bw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002878049  “Ecologists unmoved by ‘green’ wave in advertising” http://www.iht.com/bin/print_ipub.php?file=/articles/2006/01/17/business/bxgreen.php  GE’s Greenwashing http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2005/05/13/ges_greenwashing.php  Greenwashing Junk Food http://www.lime.com/blog/savasthi/7189/greenwashing_junk_food_/  Turn up the Heat http://www.turnuptheheat.org/  Some Companies Find It’s Not Easy Marketing Green http://www.brandweek.com/bw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002878049  “Ecologists unmoved by ‘green’ wave in advertising” http://www.iht.com/bin/print_ipub.php?file=/articles/2006/01/17/business/bxgreen.php