DailyFinance.comhttp://www.dailyfinance.comDailyFinance.comhttp://o.aolcdn.com/os/df/2013/img/2-dailyfinance_logo_m.pngDailyFinance.comhttp://www.dailyfinance.comen-usCopyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Poland Spring Ads Try to Put Sparkle on Big Plastic Pollution Problemhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/30/poland-spring-ads-try-to-put-sparkle-on-big-plastic-pollution-pr/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/30/poland-spring-ads-try-to-put-sparkle-on-big-plastic-pollution-pr/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/30/poland-spring-ads-try-to-put-sparkle-on-big-plastic-pollution-pr/#commentsFiled under:

poland springWhen the mayor of San Francisco bans bottled water from city offices, and some high-profile restaurants follow suit, it's time for the bottled water industry to go on the offensive. Poland Spring's approach is to defend its environmental record with a two-page advertising spread -- complete with footnotes -- now appearing in leading magazines, including The New Yorker and Newsweek.

"The Science Behind the Magic of Poland Spring," it says, with the full story available here. "We are always looking for ways to reduce our impact on the environment," the ad says. "Maybe that's why Poland Spring has the lightest carbon footprint of all leading bottled beverages."

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]]>bottled waternestlePET bottlesplastic recyclingpolandPoland Springpoland spring waterpoland+springspoland+springs+problemspolandspringspolandspringsproblemsJim MotavalliWed, 30 Mar 2011 17:30:00 ESTA Real Eco-Friendly House Avoids Meaningless 'Environmental Bling'http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/25/a-real-eco-friendly-house-avoids-meaningless-environmental-blin/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/25/a-real-eco-friendly-house-avoids-meaningless-environmental-blin/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/25/a-real-eco-friendly-house-avoids-meaningless-environmental-blin/#commentsFiled under: ,

environmental blingDo you live in a "slow house"? John Brown, founder of the Slow Home Movement (complementing the fast-moving Slow Food Movement), says there's a lot of greenwashing claims made for "eco-homes" that in reality are neither well-made, nor optimized for efficiency. They may be trying to be "slow," but in reality, they're fast.

"Environmental bling," he told the Miami Herald, includes "low-flow toilets, solar panels and bamboo flooring" -- not that there's anything wrong with these things, but they're add-ons that can disguise a home's environmental compromises.

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]]>eco-friendlyeco-friendly homeenvironmental blingGreen footprintgreen homeshomeslow food movementslow homeJim MotavalliFri, 25 Mar 2011 16:00:00 ESTSo Who Does 'Consumers Alliance for Global Prosperity' Really Represent?http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/20/so-who-does-consumers-alliance-for-global-prosperity-really-re/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/20/so-who-does-consumers-alliance-for-global-prosperity-really-re/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/20/so-who-does-consumers-alliance-for-global-prosperity-really-re/#commentsFiled under:

consumers allianceIn my recent listing of organizations that fly under "false flags," using environmental-sounding names to advance anti-green causes, I missed the Consumers Alliance for Global Prosperity. It's got many trappings of an actual consumer advocacy group, but its major purpose seems to be advancing a political agenda: Bashing greens, unions and others deemed not sufficiently free market-positive.

"Multiple radical environmental groups make up a key portion of the Empires of Collusion," the Alliance says. On its list is everything from the middle of the road World Wildlife Fund to Greenpeace. The Rainforest Action Network (RAN) is described as a "far-right fringe group." That prompted some surprise from the network's spokeswoman, Nell Greenberg: "Wow, we've never been called that before," she said.

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]]>astroturfingconsumers alliance for global prosperityfront groupsnon-profitsrainforest action networkJim MotavalliSun, 20 Mar 2011 14:00:00 ESTIs It Really Made With Wind? Label to Keep Manufacturers Honesthttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/11/label-to-keep-green-power-users-honest/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/11/label-to-keep-green-power-users-honest/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/11/label-to-keep-green-power-users-honest/#commentsFiled under: ,

Regular readers of this column may recall that I got irritated by a claim that a product was "made with wind energy." The green power grid is a big, unruly thing with electrons coming in from all over, and unless you're directly connected to a wind turbine (and nothing else) it's hard to justify such things. But that's why I love the idea of Windmade, which is an initiative designed to create a credible consumer label for products actually produced with wind. They call these things "trustmarks."

Windmade isn't going to generalize with "made with wind" claims. Instead, it will list the specific amount of wind going into the product, depending on the grid that provided the electricity.

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]]>green policegreen powerwind powerJim MotavalliFri, 11 Mar 2011 13:00:00 EST12 Anti-Environmental Groups with Green Nameshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/08/12-anti-environmental-groups-with-green-names/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/08/12-anti-environmental-groups-with-green-names/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/08/12-anti-environmental-groups-with-green-names/#commentsFiled under: , ,

It's called waving a "false flag," using a green-sounding name on an anti-environmental organization. Most of these groups do (or did, many have fleeting existences) exactly the opposite of what their name implies.

If it's the "Land Conservation Coalition," it may have been born in the back room of a Washington, D.C. lobbying shop, and it doesn't actually have any members. Its mission is probably not to protect federal lands, but graze cattle and extract resources from them, with a little destructive off-roading on the side.

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]]>greengreenwashingJim MotavalliTue, 08 Mar 2011 13:00:00 ESTFive Green Products You Can Live Withouthttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/02/five-green-products-you-can-live-without/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/02/five-green-products-you-can-live-without/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/02/five-green-products-you-can-live-without/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Fiji WaterI'm sure you could create your own similar list from products you've bought with high hopes but then experienced disappointment. These are five that make green claims they're unlikely to realize:

1. Designer waters. Regular bottled water is bad enough, but when it goes upscale -- that's when it really picks your pocket in the name of some marginal health claim. The Urban Dictionary defines "designer water" as "a commercial brand of mineral water, often served or sold under pretentious circumstances ... at exorbitant cost." Sounds about right. It's even worse if it's imported from some distant land (ie, Fiji) because then you have to add transportation-related emissions to its demerit list. The bottles are beautiful, but as with celebrity-endorsed perfumes, that's what you're paying for -- a fancy bottle.

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]]>designer waterdishwashing liquidflexible fuel carsgreenGreen Lanterngreen productsgreenwashingNatrual Gaswaterproofwind-up radioJim MotavalliWed, 02 Mar 2011 09:00:00 ESTBen & Jerry's 'Natural' Claims Still an Issuehttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/24/ben-and-jerrys-natural-claims-still-an-issue/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/24/ben-and-jerrys-natural-claims-still-an-issue/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/24/ben-and-jerrys-natural-claims-still-an-issue/#commentsFiled under: , ,

ben jerry ice cream labels all naturalIs Ben & Jerry's ice cream health food? Not exactly, though the images of contented cows and bucolic vistas tend to suggest that. In fact, all that goodness is headed for your waistline.

Eat just a half cup (a quarter of the pint) of Americone Dream and you're packing away 270 calories, 15 grams of fat and 65 milligrams of cholesterol. Opt for the Chubby Hubby and it's 340 calories you're packing in (plus 20 grams of fat and 60 milligrams of cholesterol. For a fuller guide to the high-calorie bottom line, visit this site. And to see what's in each container, check this one out.

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]]>all naturalben and jerrysben jerrysCenter for Science in the Public Interestfood label claimsFood labelsice creamJim MotavalliThu, 24 Feb 2011 15:30:00 ESTGreen Cars Running on Solar, Wind or ... Air? Yeah, Righthttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/23/green-cars-running-on-solar-wind-or-air-yeah-right/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/23/green-cars-running-on-solar-wind-or-air-yeah-right/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/23/green-cars-running-on-solar-wind-or-air-yeah-right/#commentsFiled under: , ,

green cars air cars solar cars green police consumer allyBe on the lookout for "solar-powered," "air-powered" or "wind-powered" cars. Renewable energy is great, but it is absolutely incapable of being the sole on-board source of power for car and truck
engines. It won't happen now, and it won't happen in the near future. George Jetson can buy a car like that (it folds up, too), but you can't.

I bring this up because the new Planters Nutmobile has both a wind turbine (an industry first, Planters says) and solar panels. But you have to read the fine print. Both of them are there to provide power for the LED interior lights and the sound system. That's it. The peanut-shaped craft actually runs on 5% to 20% biodiesel.

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]]>air cargreengreen policeplanters nutmobilesolar carzero emissionJim MotavalliWed, 23 Feb 2011 15:00:00 ESTA Million Plug-in Cars by 2015? The President's Numbers Are a Stretchhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/19/a-million-plug-in-cars-by-2015-the-presidents-numbers-are-a-st/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/19/a-million-plug-in-cars-by-2015-the-presidents-numbers-are-a-st/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/19/a-million-plug-in-cars-by-2015-the-presidents-numbers-are-a-st/#commentsFiled under: , ,

plug in car chevy volt - plug in carsPresident Obama wants to put a million plug-in cars on the road by 2015, which will be a tall order. Indiana University recently released a fairly skeptical report, concluding, "The production intentions of automakers are currently insufficient to meet the 2015 goal, and even the current plans for production volumes may not be met."

Obama was having none of that, of course. The Department of Energy fired back with a note of confidence, adding up those same "production intentions" quite differently. According to the DOE, the goal is in sight. But its chart shows numbers that even the auto companies aren't projecting, especially 120,000 Chevrolet Volts by 2012.

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]]>chevy voltelectric carplug in carJim MotavalliSat, 19 Feb 2011 14:30:00 ESTWhy Electric Cars Aren't 'Zero Emission'http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/16/why-electric-cars-arent-zero-emission/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/16/why-electric-cars-arent-zero-emission/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/16/why-electric-cars-arent-zero-emission/#commentsFiled under: ,

electric car zero emission nissan leafIs the Nissan Leaf or any of the other battery cars now hitting the market "zero emission"? No, actually not, though it may seem like a no-brainer-if a car doesn't have a tailpipe, it doesn't have any emissions, right?

In reality, electric cars produce emissions because they plug into a grid supported by power plants that do have tailpipes (only they call them "smokestacks"). The grid in the U.S. is about half coal (44.6% in 2009). For plug-in cars to be truly zero emission, they'd have to plug into a grid that was nothing but nukes, wind and solar, but renewable sources are only 3.6% of the mix.

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]]>electric carsemissionsgreengreen carsnissanJim MotavalliWed, 16 Feb 2011 14:00:00 ESTA History of Greenwashing: How Dirty Towels Impacted the Green Movementhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/12/the-history-of-greenwashing-how-dirty-towels-impacted-the-green/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/12/the-history-of-greenwashing-how-dirty-towels-impacted-the-green/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/12/the-history-of-greenwashing-how-dirty-towels-impacted-the-green/#commentsFiled under: ,

greenwashing green police consumer allyAt some point in the mid-1980s, a pony-tailed upstate New York environmental activist named Jay Westerveld picked up a card in a South Pacific hotel room and read the following: "Save Our Planet: Every day, millions of gallons of water are used to wash towels that have only been used once. You make the choice: A towel on the rack means, 'I will use again.' A towel on the floor means, 'Please replace.' Thank your for helping us conserve the Earth's vital resources." The card was decorated with the three green arrows that make up the recycling symbol.

Westerveld saw irony in the "save the towel" movement, because hotels waste resources in many different ways -- and not washing as many linens saves the corporation money. He put his thoughts together in a 1986 essay and, as he tells it, coined the phrase "greenwashing" in the process.

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]]>advertisingconsumer allydeceptive marketinggreenwashingJim MotavalliSat, 12 Feb 2011 15:00:00 ESTFur Industry Now Calling Itself 'Green,' but Hype Doesn't Hold Uphttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/19/fur-industry-now-calling-itself-green-but-hype-doesnt-hold-u/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/19/fur-industry-now-calling-itself-green-but-hype-doesnt-hold-u/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/19/fur-industry-now-calling-itself-green-but-hype-doesnt-hold-u/#commentsFiled under: ,

green police furDid you know that fur is green? I hadn't heard it either, but then I visited the Fur Council of Canada's "Fur is Green" website and was set straight. "Like leather, suede and shearling, fur is a natural product, a true gift of nature," it says. "At a time when we are all trying to be conscious of how our lifestyles affect nature, fur is an excellent choice."

First-time visitors might think they've happened across a parody site (Canada is where they club baby seals to death for their fur, after all), and they'd be at least partly right. I talked to Alan Herscovici, executive vice president of the Fur Council, and he explained, "We've learned from animal rights groups like PETA. Are we being a bit provocative in the way we say it? Of course. But people are talking about green living, so we thought they'd be interested to hear what we had to say."

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]]>animal rightsanimal rights movementFurgreenwashingtanningtrappingJim MotavalliWed, 19 Jan 2011 15:00:00 ESTAt the Ultra-Green W Hotel, $6 for Fiji Water. What's Wrong With This Picture?http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/07/at-the-ultra-green-w-hotel-6-for-fiji-water-whats-wrong-with/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/07/at-the-ultra-green-w-hotel-6-for-fiji-water-whats-wrong-with/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/07/at-the-ultra-green-w-hotel-6-for-fiji-water-whats-wrong-with/#commentsFiled under: ,

green police fiji waterThe W Hotel in San Francisco is without doubt one of the greenest hotels in America. It won a 2008 "Good Earthkeeping Award," and in April was awarded Silver LEED status, making it "the first LEED certification of an existing building belonging to a major hotel brand."

Here are a few hotel highlights:
  • 70% of the guest room lighting is green, either CFL or LED, with motion sensors.
  • All PCs are Energy Star compliant.
  • "Sensory Meetings" are offered, with all food and beverages "organic, biodynamic and local."
  • Also offered are "zero waste events," and carbon neutral events through a partnership with "Live Neutral" carbon offsets.
  • Management is considering installation of wind turbines on the hotel's roof -- which would be the first for a commercial building in the city.

Continue reading At the Ultra-Green W Hotel, $6 for Fiji Water. What's Wrong With This Picture?


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]]>bottled waterenvironmentfiji watergreengreen policegreenwashingjim motavalliw hotelJim MotavalliFri, 07 Jan 2011 17:00:00 ESTIs There a Toxic Chemical in 'Natural' Soy Burgers and Health Bars?http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/12/08/a-toxic-chemical-in-natural-soy-burgers-and-health-bars/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/12/08/a-toxic-chemical-in-natural-soy-burgers-and-health-bars/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/12/08/a-toxic-chemical-in-natural-soy-burgers-and-health-bars/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Toxic soyStop! Put down that veggie burger. Back slowly away from the health bar. Do you know how that thing was processed?

Cornucopia Institute, which advocates for family farmers and has a history of crying foul about the misuse of terms like "natural" and "organic" in food products, has a new target. It's pointing a finger at health food companies that use what it describes as toxic chemicals in the processing of a major ingredient, soy protein.

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]]>boca burgercornucopiadean foodsgreen policehealth barhexanejim motavalllinatural foodsSoYouThinkYouCanDancetoxicveggie burgerJim MotavalliWed, 08 Dec 2010 11:25:00 ESTAre Ziploc Evolve Bags Really 'Made With Wind Energy?'http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/11/19/are-ziploc-evolve-bags-really-made-with-wind-energy/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/11/19/are-ziploc-evolve-bags-really-made-with-wind-energy/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/11/19/are-ziploc-evolve-bags-really-made-with-wind-energy/#commentsFiled under: ,

Ziploc evolveThis is a story about bags, but it's not the same old "paper vs. plastic." To understand the twists and turns here, a few words about the electric grid are necessary. The electricity from wind farms and solar "groves" is usually uploaded to the grid, where it joins the vast sea of other electrons generated conventionally, from natural gas and coal plants.

Wind turbines, ziploc evolveBecause of that, companies that buy "green energy" to lower their carbon footprint (or simply because they want some good public relations) pay a monthly fee to a power broker. That supplier buys (or produces on its own) renewably-generated electricity that it feeds into the grid. For companies, what they're buying is renewable energy certificates, or RECs, which can be traded and applied toward voluntary environmental goals. It's an admirable action for companies to take, but there's no direct connection to the actual manufacturing operations.

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]]>Evolve Ziploc bagsGreenGreenwashingRECswind energywind turbineswindpowerJim MotavalliFri, 19 Nov 2010 08:00:00 ESTGreen Police: Green products still making questionable claimshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/11/09/green-police-green-products-still-making-questionable-claims/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/11/09/green-police-green-products-still-making-questionable-claims/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/11/09/green-police-green-products-still-making-questionable-claims/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Green PoliceThe good news is that there are a lot more environmentally friendly products on the market (73% more than 2009), and that greenwashing has declined. The bad news is that nearly all green products on the market (more than 95%) commit at least one of the "Seven Sins of Greenwashing."

The seven sins list and the annual survey are produced by TerraChoice, an environmental marketing company associated with the Underwriters Laboratory. Scott McDougall, the group's president, sees a small increase in the percentage of "sin free" products (from 2% to 4.5% of the 5,296 products examined in the U.S. and Canada) as "early evidence of a positive and long-lasting trend." Home and family products showed a definite uptick in green reliability.

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]]>energy stargreenGreen Policegreenwashingseven sins of greenwashingterra choiceJim MotavalliTue, 09 Nov 2010 11:30:00 ESTBlowing green smoke: Politicians whose environmental claims don't hold uphttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/10/20/blowing-green-smoke-politicians-whose-environmental-claims-don/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/10/20/blowing-green-smoke-politicians-whose-environmental-claims-don/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/10/20/blowing-green-smoke-politicians-whose-environmental-claims-don/#commentsFiled under: ,

Jim Motavalli Green PoliceEveryone knows that the only renewable energy that politicians always support is their own hot air. They often get the rhetoric right on support for green issues, but their votes and record of taking money from polluters tells another story. I thought it would be instructive to compare the actual performance of some Congressional incumbents with the blarney on their websites (where they always put on a green face).

There are some ripe targets on the campaign trail right now. The League of Conservation Voters compiles an annual "Dirty Dozen" among the aspirants to higher office, but I thought I'd confine my reporting to actual incumbents with voting records and money trails.

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]]>Blanche Lincolnbpenvironmentgreenjim motavalliJoe BartonJoe Barton BP apologyleague of conservation votersmichele bachmannpoliticspollutionroy bluntJim MotavalliWed, 20 Oct 2010 11:00:00 ESTCelebs like Jennifer Aniston and John Travolta say they're green, but are they?http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/09/27/celebs-like-jennifer-aniston-and-john-travolta-say-theyre-green/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/09/27/celebs-like-jennifer-aniston-and-john-travolta-say-theyre-green/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/09/27/celebs-like-jennifer-aniston-and-john-travolta-say-theyre-green/#commentsFiled under: ,

Green celebrities?Celebrities drive me crazy, they really do. They drive most people crazy in various ways, I guess, but my problem is the down time when they're not singing their songs or acting in their movies. That's when they're out to prove what great planetary citizens they are.

Either they (or their publicists) come up with the most idiotic statements, which for the most part are totally at odds with their opulent lifestyles. They like to give us advice, which they don't even come close to following themselves. For instance, here's Barbra Streisand, a golden throat no doubt, sounding off about how "everyday Americans can help in this fight... by filling up the air in their tires, replacing older light bulbs [with] newer, energy-saving ones, driving a hybrid vehicle, carpooling, bringing your own bags to the grocery store, installing low-flow shower heads, unplugging unused appliances and recycling."

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]]>Barbra Streisandcelebrities going greencelebritygreen celebritiesgreenwashingjennifer anistonjohn travoltaparis hiltonsheryl crowJim MotavalliMon, 27 Sep 2010 10:45:00 ESTBig luxury hybrids: Barely better for the planet than standard gas-guzzlershttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/09/10/big-luxury-hybrids-barely-better-for-the-planet-than-standard-g/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/09/10/big-luxury-hybrids-barely-better-for-the-planet-than-standard-g/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/09/10/big-luxury-hybrids-barely-better-for-the-planet-than-standard-g/#commentsFiled under: ,

Luxury hybrid's not so greenNot all hybrid cars are created equal. And not every car with a hybrid badge gets a green pass, either. In fact some of the big luxury hybrids have environmental profiles far worse than an average sedan, but they're marketed and thought of as paragons for the planet.

Given what I do for a living, I appreciate the value of hybrid cars. I remember standing enthralled at auto shows in late 1999 as Toyota Priuses first hit our shores. There were bigger and shinier cars on the floor, but that early Prius looked like something new, and so it proved. It's the bestselling car in Japan, and dominates the 3% of the U.S. market devoted to hybrids. But the Prius has a genuine claim to make: It gets 50 miles per gallon and has really low emissions.

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]]>EscaladeHybridfuel efficiencyFuel Efficient Vehiclesgreen carLexusHybridPriusHybridJim MotavalliFri, 10 Sep 2010 10:00:00 ESTThe battle over bottled water moves to YouTubehttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/08/06/bottled-water-environmental-battle-goes-to-video/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/08/06/bottled-water-environmental-battle-goes-to-video/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/08/06/bottled-water-environmental-battle-goes-to-video/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Battle over bottled waterThe battle over whether bottled water is a blight on the environment or an upstanding consumer choice has moved to YouTube, where the two sides are dueling it out via video.

It's no trivial issue. Americans drink 500 million bottles of water every week. (Put end to end, the containers would circle the globe five times.) Every year, the oil and energy used to make water bottles would fuel a million cars.

Is bottled water an unnecessary environmental abomination? (See The Story of Bottled Water, from the people who brought you the astoundingly successful viral video The Story of Stuff.) Or a healthy product, influenced not by advertising but by genuine consumer choice and convenience? (See The Real Story of Bottled Water, produced in claymation by the International Bottled Water Association.)

So far, the Story of Stuff Project is winning the war for hearts and minds. Its YouTube video has almost 800,000 views, compared to 1,751 for The Real Story of Bottled Water. Of course, a lot of those people watched those videos, pro and con, with a bottle of water handy for hydration. Judge for yourself. Here's The Story of Bottled Water:



And here's The Real Story of Bottled Water:

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]]>bottled waterenvironmentgreenjennifer anistonKeep America BeautifulPET plasticrecyclingsmart waterstory of stuffThe Real Story of Bottled WaterJim MotavalliFri, 06 Aug 2010 10:00:00 EST