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New consumerism through the image of green...
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| Fir3start3r |
Never mind the scientific debate behind 'Global Warming', how about the shleps behind marketing their products as, "Earth Friendly", "Natural", "Eco-Friendly" and all their other nonsense verbage just to cash in on the 'Green Wave'...
Here's a great example right here in Toronto where over 100 vendors were denied access to an environmental show due to false claims...
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Beware 'greenwash,' consumers warned
Environmental show rejects 100 exhibitors with unproved claims
April 25, 2008
Moira Welsh
Environment Reporter
Selling green means doing a lot of weeding.
Organizers of this weekend's Green Living Show say they rejected 100 would-be exhibitors because their goods were not terribly environmental.
Sensing a lucrative green wave, some entrepreneurs are pushing products that make promises they cannot keep, spinning them as "natural" or "earth friendly," terms that are meaningless.
"We often get people trying to sell you a product that is not good, by claiming it is green," says Lee Schnaiberg, an environmental consultant working for the show. "It is disheartening. But it is not always out of malice. A lot of people want to do good, but don't necessarily know what that means, unfortunately."
Schnaiberg vets many of the products but, for tougher decisions, he talks to the show's "green screening committee," a group of environmentalists and consultants. While 100 promoters were turned down, 430 exhibitors will be at the Direct Energy Centre in Exhibition Place, selling items like stainless steel drinking bottles, organic baby clothes, hybrid cars and electric gizmos that increase bicycle speed. The show runs from today through Sunday.
Green Living Enterprises, a private company that founded the show last year, has tapped into rising consumer interest in the environment, doubling the number of exhibitors from last year. (The Star is a sponsor of the show.)
For some environmentalists, the consumer side of the green movement is at odds with the need for conservation; they believe it is better to change behaviour than buy new gadgets. "We have to be careful we are simply not propagating a new consumerism through the image of green," says Ingrid Leman Stefanovic, director of the University of Toronto's Centre for Environmental Studies.
"It's a question of how we can behave differently with the old – of turning off a light switch, rather than buying a new energy-efficient light bulb ...
"People have to recognize that they have to use what they have, and when they need to replace it, they can look for green alternatives. Then they have to be very careful what they are choosing."
But Schnaiberg says the public demand for transparency will prevent companies from successfully "greenwashing" their products.
Chris Lowry, the founder of the Green Enterprise network, a Toronto not-for-profit organization that represents consumers and locally owned businesses, says consumers are looking past the spin.
The demand for information has created a new market for examining such claims. Ottawa-based TerraChoice Environmental Marketing, for instance, tells consumers about "six sins of greenwashing."
Schnaiberg said some products were rejected by the show because their carbon footprint (the amount of carbon gases emitted during manufacturing and transport) was larger than their competitors'.
For example, an organic wine from South Africa was turned down because it expends more energy travelling to Toronto than a non-organic wine from the Niagara Region, which was accepted.
For other rejected products, the reasons were resoundingly clear.
"Some sounded too good to be true," Schnaiberg said. "We've had people come and push pills that you pop in your car engine and all of a sudden you are supposed to save 30 per cent on your fuel. Yeah ... and I have a bridge to sell."
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>>Source<<
I guess the question here is, do we, as consumers, jump up and down an d demand the government have better regulations on this greenwashing or do we simply, 'caveat emptor' and let the free market eventually flush these fools?
At present, I'm more for the later of the two ideas but industry standards aren't necessarily a bad idea either.
I think I'd favor the former if said standards couldn't be interpreted in any way into yet another grey area...
Ideas? Comments?
Oh yea, happy Friday
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| Krypton |
| If their claims are fraudulent, then they should be punished by the law. The free market can not police itself. Making false claims results in victimization of the consumer and should be illegal. Nevertheless, from an economic perspective, the alternative energy industry will explode in the next few decades. Literally, I have heard the CEO of a purified silicon producing company say his orders are doubling every year. Imagine the expansion at that rate. EXPONENTIAL. This is awesome. Forget the debate with the global warming skeptics. Alternative energy is good for the environment, safe, unlimited, cheap (except for nuclear), and most of all, diversifies the US energy market away from fossil fuels. I'm glad companies are falling over themselves trying to project a "green" image...:) |
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| LazFX |
| quote: | Originally posted by Krypton
If their claims are fraudulent, then they should be punished by the law. The free market can not police itself. Making false claims results in victimization of the consumer and should be illegal. Nevertheless, from an economic perspective, the alternative energy industry will explode in the next few decades. Literally, I have heard the CEO of a purified silicon producing company say his orders are doubling every year. Imagine the expansion at that rate. EXPONENTIAL. This is awesome. Forget the debate with the global warming skeptics. Alternative energy is good for the environment, safe, unlimited, cheap (except for nuclear), and most of all, diversifies the US energy market away from fossil fuels. I'm glad companies are falling over themselves trying to project a "green" image...:) |
know of any good investments?? |
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| Krypton |
| quote: | Originally posted by LazFX
know of any good investments?? |
Hehe, actually I have not looked in depth at any top alternative energy companies. I will make it a priority...;)
One company I know of is USU. They supply low enriched uranium to the nuclear power industry. Now with carbon restrictions inevitable, oil prices skyrocketing, and this green movement, many think uranium miners will profit huge. Now, USU is at $5.03, and has been at $25 in the last year. It's RISKY. The more risk you take on, the higher your potential returns or losses. Analyst scuttlebutt is the alternative energy industry is a waking giant about to really explode. With that, good luck...;) |
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| LazFX |
| quote: | Originally posted by Krypton
Hehe, actually I have not looked in depth at any top alternative energy companies. I will make it a priority...;)
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I'm telling you man, we have just seen the tip of the money iceberg of these companies....
man, I am building a house and I am going green on several fronts....
so yes, go research ;) |
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| jerZ07002 |
| quote: | Originally posted by Krypton
The free market can not police itself. |
yes it can. people just aren't patient enough for market forces to react.
| quote: | Originally posted by Krypton
Making false claims results in victimization of the consumer and should be illegal. |
it is illegal. there are all kinds of laws against false advertising.
| quote: | Originally posted by Krypton
Alternative energy is.....cheap (except for nuclear) |
if it was so cheap then we wouldn't be using fossil fuels. the only reason fossil fuels are the main energy source is because for a very long time fossil fuels were much much cheaper. They still are, just not as much. I must add that the $4.00 a gallon gas is very good for this country in the long term. it will spur alternative energy projects and cause fuel efficiency to increase.
also, the economic cost of nuclear power is not much above natural gas. It is certain cheaper and more effective than solar or wind. |
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| Krypton |
| quote: | Originally posted by LazFX
I'm telling you man, we have just seen the tip of the money iceberg of these companies....
man, I am building a house and I am going green on several fronts....
so yes, go research ;) |
Yes, one company actually has invented a spray-on solar panel. Spray it all over your house, and you house becomes one giant solar panel.
| quote: | | yes it can. people just aren't patient enough for market forces to react. |
Like the sub-prime lenders did right?:rolleyes:
Listen, profit is ethically neutral. The market won't stop companies whose profits are more important than ethics. Profit motives dictate that a company take its profit over all else. It is the government which prevents companies from victimizing their consumers. Which is why we have the market regulators. Capitalism untamed is a disaster waiting to happen, as recent and past history has shown.
| quote: | | it is illegal. there are all kinds of laws against false advertising. |
Ok...? Are you nit picking me or what...
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if it was so cheap then we wouldn't be using fossil fuels. the only reason fossil fuels are the main energy source is because for a very long time fossil fuels were much much cheaper. They still are, just not as much. I must add that the $4.00 a gallon gas is very good for this country in the long term. it will spur alternative energy projects and cause fuel efficiency to increase.
also, the economic cost of nuclear power is not much above natural gas. It is certain cheaper and more effective than solar or wind. |
Let me clarify myself. It will become MUCH MUCH cheaper. Getting energy from the sun is so much cheaper than building a gigantic power plant which requires huge amounts of mining, infrastructure, capital, etc. etc. When people's houses start producing all the power they need, yes, it will be hugely cheaper.
This is essentially the theme of my alternative energy opinion in this thread. Barring bio-fuels (which I think is a disaster), alternative energy today is like the computer industry of the early 1980's. The innovations have come; mass market appeal is just taking off with this "green revolution". Things look for civilization...:D |
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| Magnetonium |
Its not just climate change thing and green campaigning ... time and time again there will be people who will try to make money on anything, like Y2K or any other scenario. Environment problems are serious and environmentally friendly products are badly needed everywhere, but there will always be people who are piss-poor excuse for human beings to make a buck on it by selling products that arent green.
Just because some people are doing it doesnt mean we shouldn't support the greener lifestyles. But after watching a 21 minute documentary called The Story Of Stuff that I got on DVD, I highly doubt that "green" products will hardly have any impact in the amount of pollution/environmental damage and garbage/waste that are generated every day. |
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| jerZ07002 |
| quote: | Originally posted by Krypton
Like the sub-prime lenders did right?:rolleyes: |
it's self policing right now. we just don't like the consequences.
| quote: | Originally posted by Krypton
Listen, profit is ethically neutral. The market won't stop companies whose profits are more important than ethics. Profit motives dictate that a company take its profit over all else. It is the government which prevents companies from victimizing their consumers. Which is why we have the market regulators. Capitalism untamed is a disaster waiting to happen, as recent and past history has shown. |
oh yeah, tell that to bear stearns.
profiting is good for the market, however, when people lose focus of the long term goal that is when ethics get thrown to the side. as part of a good profit strategy a company needs to focus on doing what is right otherwise they will ultimately lose customers.
| quote: | Originally posted by Krypton
Ok...? Are you nit picking me or what... |
no, you just said it like there aren't laws against false advertising and misleading consumers.
| quote: | Originally posted by Krypton
Let me clarify myself. It will become MUCH MUCH cheaper. Getting energy from the sun is so much cheaper than building a gigantic power plant which requires huge amounts of mining, infrastructure, capital, etc. etc. When people's houses start producing all the power they need, yes, it will be hugely cheaper.
This is essentially the theme of my alternative energy opinion in this thread. Barring bio-fuels (which I think is a disaster), alternative energy today is like the computer industry of the early 1980's. The innovations have come; mass market appeal is just taking off with this "green revolution". Things look for civilization...:D |
i don't disagree. |
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| Krypton |
| Just like the high cost of computer in the early 1980's, costs will come down substantially, and also energy output will exponentially increase too just as computers double in processing speed every 18 months. I am very optimistic. |
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