Slate editor at large Jack Shafer has a strongly-worded critique of environmental websites for being myopic in their coverage and not "true" journalists, and he has a point. To prove that he is independent, he comes down hard on a recent series of articles done by Slate in conjunction with TreeHugger.

When publications push green for green's sake, they will lose a percentage of readers who rightly want the same critical analysis of companies, technologies and strategies that claim to be green that you would read in The New York Times or any other respected publication.

Reducing your carbon footprint should be an end unto itself -- it should be done for a specific purpose with science and the reality of a capitalist society in mind. Some companies will try to "greenwash" their actions or products that are purportedly serving the greater good but in reality serving only to fatten their own bottom lines. For sustainability to become mainstream it must consider the impact of our actions on the health of our environment as it relates to ourselves and fellow dependent species alongside the economic impact.

Putting green above all else and trying to make people feel guilty for everyday life is not responsible journalism. It is our goal in creating Matter, and I hope you will keep us honest when we waiver.