Environmental Impact of Green Companies Essay -- earth-friendly, Fair

There are many companies out there that claim to be â€Å"green†. But are they really and how much impact does it have on the environment? Labels such as â€Å"organic†, â€Å"biodegradable†, â€Å"earth-friendly†, vegan and â€Å"Fair Trade† are everywhere in today’s market. These labels are marketing tools used to influence consumers. Greenwashing is defined as â€Å"The dissemination of misleading information by an organization to conceal its abuse of the environment in order to present a positive public image † and â€Å"superficial or insincere display of concern for the environment that is shown by an organization † by thefreedictionary.com. â€Å"Going Green† may not be what it seems. It is not necessarily good for the environment. The Green movement is not about the environment as much as about consumerism and political agendas. While green products may be a better choice, they are still not enough to save the environment. When green is applied to food, it suggests foods that have been grown with minimal or no pesticides, organic fertilizers, no growth hormones, and humane conditions. However, this belief does not always accord with the reality. The example that I will discuss is eggs . I have chosen this example both because eggs are part of our everyday diet and because they get much attention in the media. Many people chose free range, organic brown eggs , believing them to be vastly superior. Brown eggs are usually more expensive than white eggs. The only real difference between a brown egg and a white egg is that brown eggs are laid by dark hens with red earlobes. However, many consumers believe that brown eggs have been laid by hens who have been fed food grown with minimal pesticides and fertilizers or that white eggs have been bleac... ...Kenner. Perf. Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser. 2008. Hardner, Jared and Richard Rice. "Rethining GREEN CONSUMERISM." Scientific America 286.5 (2002). Peattie, Ken and Andrew Crane. "Green marketing: legend, myth, farce, or prophesy?" Qualitative Market Research: An International Joural 8.4 (2005): 357-370. Pedersen, Esben Rahbek and Peter Neergaard. "Caveat Emptor- Let the Buyer Beware! Environmental Labelling and the Limitations of 'Green' Consumerism." Business Strategy and the Environment 15 (2006): 15-19. Terra Choice Group Inc. "The Seven Sins of Greenwashing." 2009. unknown. E.7 Can green consumerism stop the ecological crisis? 2 Dec 2009 . Women's Voices for the Earth. "Issue Reports." September 2008. Women and Environment. 4 December 2009