Environment

Inconvienent Scams: For the Environmentally Naive

by Barry Artiste | April 14, 2008 at 06:15 am

403 views | 2 Recommendations | 2 comments

Opinion
Barry Artiste, Now Public Contributor

Certainly Corporate Advertisement Scammers everywhere jumping on the environmental bandwagon to flog everything from Toilet Paper to Air fresheners, really begin to all meld into "white noise" for consumers, who may in the end hurt not only the planet, but give consumers a false sense of environmental stewardship in their belief everything these admen state is good for the planet.

We used to believe the mottos called "Truth in Advertisment" and "Green Products" . Certainly today they have lost all meaning to us.
With the only truth that Green means money, not for the earth, but for Corporates who will will go to the ends of the earth to part the naive with their money.

"The more green claims we see, the more complaints we get."

By PETER ZIMONJIC, NATIONAL BUREAU

The commercial opens with snow-capped mountains and pristine alpine lakes. It ends with a claim to be a green company, selling green goods to green-minded consumers.

But is the firm really environmentally friendly, or are they engaging in greenwashing -- the false or misleading practice of advertising green but operating dirty?

Films such as Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth and other celebrity-backed campaigns have contributed to a surging awareness of environmental issues. To capitalize on green-chic, companies are increasingly making claims that are difficult for consumers to verify.

"It's an area in which we are expecting complaints to increase," says Janet Feasby, vice-president of Advertising Standards Canada. "The more green claims we see, the more complaints we get."

Feasby said while complaints are still small in number, she's bracing for a surge.

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Vinny

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 06:30 on April 14th, 2008

Barry Artiste, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Barry Artiste

at 06:49 on April 14th, 2008

Thanks Vinne, unfortunately Governments have to waste taxpayers money to Police those who obviously cannot Police themselves because for the almighty Buck, Advertisers with no Morals, always, always look for ways to part a Eco fool with their money, I also place the blame squarely on Corporates who let advertisement agencies get away with it, knowing full well their product has absolutely little or no environmental value whatsoever.