The good news? Environmental issues have become integral to business platforms and advertisement in just the last few years. Huge companies, such as Wal-Mart and General Electric, have adopted ecology campaigns, and almost any well- known business in the public eye is feeling the pressure to make its own environmental declarations. Consumers are telling big business that they want environmentally responsible organizations, and big business has to listen.
The bad news? Assertion and action can be two very different things. Furthermore, many people, such as Ronnie Cummins, the national director of the Organic Consumers Association, argue that some environmental movements - such as the organic food craze - don't work on the large scale of "one-size-fits-all" and "lowest prices possible." Cummins told the New York Times that businesses like Wal-Mart are going to "wreck organic the way it's wrecking retail stores, driving out competitors."
I'm going to address this first objection by exploring the growing relationship between public interest, business' public policy and the media surrounding corporate environmental impact. From these issues stem the rising controversy relating to the concept of "green consumerism," as well as the skepticism that surrounds the increasing corporate environmental gestures of the past few years.
One major complaint against the environmentalist movement is the idea of green consumerism, or the notion that you can buy yourself environmental responsibility. Anyone who learned the three R's knows that the real environmentalist's focus, above all else, is to reduce consumption (then reuse, then recycle). Keeping this in mind, the idea behind eco-friendly products is to use them in the place of, not in addition to, less sustainable or environmental alternatives. The tricky part is avoiding the environmental propaganda that is currently sweeping the nation so that you know you're buying from truly responsible corporations.
The question is, how can you determine which businesses are environmentally responsible when shopping for the things you need? According to a recent EcoPinion survey report, one of the problems lies in communication. Words used in the environmental movement are often confused, such as energy conservation versus energy efficiency, smart energy, clean energy and demand response. Therefore, a consumer or job-hunter with environmental intentions may be misled based on ignorance or confusion about definitions, creating a gap between their aim and actual consumer behavior.
Another problem for the consumer is "greenwashing," or the use of false or exaggerated green marketing as a sales tactic, which has been explored by TerraChoice Environmental Marketing. This hoax can be disguised in a number of ways - most notably, the claim that a product is "green" based on a single environmental attribute without attending to other, sometimes more important environmental issues (among them, energy, climate, water, forestry impacts, etc). For example, advertisements may champion the product's use of recycled paper - "eco-friendly recycled paper!" - but ignore the product's transportation impacts. The claim, then, isn't false, but can illustrate a misleading image of the product as a whole.
Another trick isn't a trick at all, but requires the consumer not to ask any questions. Often, companies offer no proof supporting their environmental claims, no information from a toll-free number, product Web site or third-party certifier. Any claim that isn't backed by easily attainable supporting information cannot be trusted.
Also, falsely claiming environmental responsibility through vague terms, like "all natural," "non-toxic" and "environmentally friendly," can lead consumers to feel good about their purchase without actually knowing anything about the product. Another tactic is making a claim about a product category that is of questionable environmental benefit, such as "organic tobacco" or "green insecticides." Finally, outright lying, misusing or misrepresenting certification by an authority when none has been made is not unheard of.
The answer to this frustrating and seemingly hopeless predicament? A trusted environmental label. Legitimate third-party certifiers include EcoLogo, Chlorine Free Products Association, Forest Stewardship Council, Green Guard and Green Seal, and they all maintain publicly available lists of certified products. The Energy Star label, which requires the meeting of strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the EPA and U.S. Department of Energy for both the home and business, is also trustworthy.
Joel Makower, writer, speaker and strategist on corporate environmental practices, recently published the "State of Green Business 2008," a free, downloadable report that explores 20 indicators of progress involving resource use, emissions and business practices of U.S. corporations attempting to be more environmentally responsible. One obstacle in his labor-intensive research was the discovery that there is no current data concerning the use of water by industry in the United States, which was originally the focus of Makower's inquiry.
Makower and many others predict that water will become the next big focus of corporate resource efficiency. Water may prove to be the most important resource of all; while there are substitutes for energy, such as replacing oil with biofuels or another renewable resource, water has no substitutes. The idea of "virtual water," or the amount of water embedded in the production and trade of a product, is becoming increasingly talked about regarding resource efficiency. For example, one hamburger contains 634 gallons of virtual water, including cow-raising, slaughter, meat production and transportation. Most are familiar with the idea of a "carbon footprint," or have even calculated their own, but it seems that one's "water footprint" is the next issue to address.
It all seems very overwhelming, and while claiming responsibility for your purchases is definitely more labor intensive than blindly buying, the results are undeniably beneficial. The best you can do is make yourself informed and really research the businesses you're giving your money to. Check out climatecounts.org, a site that explores and reports on which companies are taking steps toward combating climate change.
Looking to get rid of some stuff rather than interested in buying? Thankfully, it's that time of the year again, and Jumbo Drop, run by Tufts Recycles!, provides student jobs, saves reusable items from the trash, offers low cost items to incoming students at a campus sale and generates donations for the community. Look for one of the 34 donation boxes in campus residences.
Lucy McKeon is a sophomore majoring in English. She is a recyling intern with Tufts Recycles!
