Green is the New White

In case you missed the ‘06 Academy Awards or the ‘07 Nobel Prize presentation, environmental awareness is very much in vogue.  Car dealers can’t keep hybrids in stock, municipalities seek out energy independence, and bikes overwhelm lanes and bike paths from Portland, OR to Cambridge, MA.

Never ones to pass up trying to profit from a trend, massive corporations have been quick to tout (and in many cases, invent) a few green credentials to entice consumers.  Though this phenomenon of “greenwashing” is by no means new, its popularity has skyrocketed in recent months, and claims have gotten bolder and ever more brazen.

Fortunately, most examples of greenwashing are fairly transparent, and nearly all can be uncovered by with the investment of a few minutes of research.  The most egregious greenwashers have already been exposed, and are only a Google search away. Newer and more insidious examples can be harder to pin down, but resources are abundant for those intent upon doing their own greenwashing investigations. 

Feel free to sound off in the comments section with any notable greenwashing examples you've identified and would like to share.