who’s to know?
the term greenwashing was heard first in 1990, according to wikipedia. it was added to the OED in 1999.
a decade later, going green is all the rage. the forces of Al Gore, celebrity, and corporate buy-in have collided and actions and words of all kinds are raining down on us — many of them full of contradictions. L.A. launched the country’s first municipally owned wind farm that eats birds. China has outlawed plastic bags nationwide … and the rain in Beijing.
so what’s the net effect of all this? is GE really reducing its carbon footprint or just really good at spinning?
grist, treehugger, and greenbiz report truth behind advertising. but who’s quantifying each action and netting the impact of opening 10 new factories in shanghai against turning off the lights if you’re the last to leave headquarters in times square at night?
it’s a complex issue, because it requires numbers and calculations not to mention eco-accounting rules. and it worries me that no one will do that analysis and we’ll never know if we’re greenwashing or not.
