Well, not everyone can rock my space-age enviroshoes. Just ordered them yesterday from a guy who bicycles to work. The entire sole is, like, a carbon credit or something. He told me they were a FACT, and only charged me $220 for them.

My shoes are silver and sky blue. They will be here on Wednesday.

What like savory, homestyle, and hearty?

/oh no, sorry, that's the bullshiat they have been feeding us since the BEGINNING OF TIME.

Never saw this coming eh?

PT Barnum would have loved this.

Dancin_In_Anson: Never saw this coming eh?

PT Barnum would have loved this.

Yep. Helps in picking 'em out of a crowd, I suppose.

This post is %100 recyclable.

One of several reasons why I hate the "green" movement.

It's all just window dressing. Saving the environment is all hunky-dory until it inconveniences people. All "environmentalism" is, is identifying the point that we can destroy the natural world "just enough" to permit its slightest survival, at our maximum convenience. We don't "save" the environment, we decide to what degree we can kill it the most and be able to still pat ourselves on the back.

when i saw Sarah Marshall last night, the pre-commercial commercials were aired in "greenvision" or something. i spent the rest of the pre-commercial commercials trying to figure out how any part of these ads were eco-friendly.

face it, "organic" and "good for the environment" have become brands to put on your now-favorite products.

Caveat Emptor

My favorite so far was in the meat department I saw a Bag of frozen chicken with the words:100% Hormone Free*

*federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones in raising poultry

"For Consolidated MegaMonolithic, EVERY day is Earth Day!"

Low Fat
High Fiber
All Natural
Free Range
Under New Management
Low Tar
Diet
Whole Grain
Fair and Balanced
...

My favorite one of these I saw was Campbell's: which was selling green-colored can of tomato soup. I was all excited, thinking they'd come out with green tomator soup, but then I saw it was just enviro-red tomato soup.

The environmental claim? They were selling condensed soup, so they didn't need as much aluminum as cans of non-condensed soup.

I literally laughed out loud in the aisle. I gave them a tad of credit--maybe this soup is more condensed than normal, so it really was a change they made? Nope.

/bought a couple anyways
//regular red cans

Robo73: What like savory, homestyle, and hearty?

/oh no, sorry, that's the bullshiat they have been feeding us since the BEGINNING OF TIME.

Tell George to STFU.

Getting suckered is bad. Read the labels.

Environmentalism is fine n dandy, but spending extra money to NOT help is crazy.

Gillette has had the 'No CFC's' logo for years.

So destroying plants that reduce carbon dioxide for cleaners is good for our environment?

Clam Sandwich: Robo73: What like savory, homestyle, and hearty?

/oh no, sorry, that's the bullshiat they have been feeding us since the BEGINNING OF TIME.

Tell George to STFU.

Good call. I didn't even realize it when I typed it. Damn I'm brainwashed by stand up.

My favorite is the Range Rover enviro-lease: it comes with 45,000 miles worth of "carbon offsets" so you can drive your $90,000 V-8 gas guzzler guilt free.

Makes about as much sense as plastic in potato chips.

Adultery offsets, anyone?

You have to be able to distinguish between corporations that are making a real difference in the way they do business, and corporations that do not.

Being a savvy consumer will help you when it comes to buying any kind of product. Clearly, there are companies who are unscrupulous enough to say anything to make a buck, and there are companies who have a well deserved reputation for quality and environmental friendliness.

An unsavvy consumer may, for example, get suckered into buying a Ford Explorer or something, thinking that it can do half of what Ford claims it can.

Um, this has been going on for years now.

Hell, I remember when supermarkets started adding little "organic" sections years ago to try and compete with new "Whole Foods" type supermarkets; a couple of aisles would suddenly have light brown tiles instead of off-white, and the signs and shelf pricing info would all be tan with text in brown Papyrus font or something similar... Many products would be labeled with the type of buzzwords and "seals" described in the article, or would just have gentle, "natural-looking" graphics, Papyrus font, etc. It was the supermarkets way of luring in the granola types, and I guess it must have worked because now almost every supermarket I go into has a section like this. Of course, I knew what it was from the first time I laid eyes on it (and was like "No f---ing way!") - PANDERING.

How green it is.

I am I the only person who hates the word "buzzword"?

So Corporations will do/say anything to make more money? Color me shocked.

The hippie anarchists are my college use the term "green washing" all the time.
To me, when ever they use the term it comes off as them referring to "Companies that make some attempt to help save the environment but stop short of bowing to every one of our insane, Luddite whims."

I love cashing in on ignorance and mass hysteria. Those people don't want their money, then so be it...

Crown_of_Shoes: One of several reasons why I hate the "green" movement.

It's all just window dressing. Saving the environment is all hunky-dory until it inconveniences people. All "environmentalism" is, is identifying the point that we can destroy the natural world "just enough" to permit its slightest survival, at our maximum convenience. We don't "save" the environment, we decide to what degree we can kill it the most and be able to still pat ourselves on the back.

Your statement is green with win. People understand the "green" packaging about as well as they understand how the "environment" works in the first place.

/Not at all.
//environmentalist

I always hated "organic" food. I mean, I really hope the only inorganics are in the vitamin aisle.

I see so many buzzwords at work (I'm a cashier in a supermarket) that I don't even notice them anymore. People will buy into any of these things, just so they think they're doing something good, either for themselves or the environment. I'm not saying it's bad, but it's becoming overkill. Frankly, I don't give a shiat (at least not much) about the claims anymore.

We prefer hype...

Giuliani: My campaign staff has received some very disturbing information regarding the fat content in yogurt that's being sold throughout the city. I pledge to you now, that if I'm elected mayor, as my first order of business I'll appoint a special task force to investigate this matter. I promise you, my fellow New Yorkers, that Mayor Giuliani will do everything possible to cleanse this city of this falsified non-fat yogurt.

Jerry: The old yogurt was so much better. Oh, this is terrible.

George: Phew!

Elaine Oh, it stinks.

Kramer Mine, too. I got one more day.

Jerry I can't eat this.

Newman: Hey, Jerry. Thanks a lot. I hope you're happy.

Jerry: It had fat in it, it's not good for you.

Newman: I don't care. It was good. I was enjoying it. Had to interfere. Couldn't leave well enough alone. Well, I will get even with you for this. You can count on it.

What?

Like British Petroleum being represented by an enormous sunflower is somehow.... dishonest?

my box of Jewel brand baking soda has in giant font: No Trans-Fats

//its a rock, people.

SUPERGREEN!

Two Cats One Bowl: Because this only happens to the "Green" Movement, right?

Never mind all those "Christian" products or those energy bars for women crap. It's just business as usual. Yeah, there're lot of Green idiots; there're lot of idiots in any movement or organization.

This.

So, basically, something popular turns out to be bullshiat. Gasp.

We really should stop pointing to specific examples so much. They only cloud the issue.

95% of EVERYTHING is bullshiat. Shouting "AH-HA" when you happen to find definitive proof of one particular example is like being proud of yourself for finding a Cheerio in a bowl of cereal.

I want environmentally friendly sports broadcasts.

CowboyUpCowgirlDown

My favorite is the Range Rover enviro-lease: it comes with 45,000 miles worth of "carbon offsets" so you can drive your $90,000 V-8 gas guzzler guilt free.

Makes about as much sense as plastic in potato chips.

Adultery offsets, anyone?


This is what I was thinking as well. Buying a bullshiat "Carbon Offset" Is a free pass to waste what you want guilt free.

Aldutery offset?...You might be on to something there. But why stop there. You could have a whole line of designer moral offsets.

Though, if someone were to suggest setting standards so that only companies who were actually meeting some kind of reasonable environmental could advertise being green, the Republican whining about government regulation would be deafening.

No, it's much better to allow companies to advertise in any way they want, whether it has anything to do with reality or not. That's just good business.

My MIL will buy ANYTHING if it says "Natural", "Organic: "free Range" or any variation thereof. The kicker is she is dirt poor, and only shops at Grocery Outlet so most of the food is already questionable. The main one I remember her buying was "Natural" almonds-ya think?
/Used to want the shoes with the lightning bolt so I could run faster.

Dire: Hell, I remember when supermarkets started adding little "organic" sections years ago to try and compete with new "Whole Foods" type supermarkets; a couple of aisles would suddenly have light brown tiles instead of off-white, and the signs and shelf pricing info would all be tan with text in brown Papyrus font or something similar... Many products would be labeled with the type of buzzwords and "seals" described in the article

I'll certainly agree that fonts, buzzwords and package design are pandering; however, products certified with the USDA Organic seal are more than just a seal. Go to your local grocery and compare the ingredients of an organic product and a non-organic. You DO actually have to meet specific standards to be considered "Organic"

On the other hand, if you truly want to be "green", it might mean buying local over anything labeled organic.

There IS a value is trying to shop "green" and organic, it just takes more than just looking past the buzzwords

/Remember Twinkies were packed with "wholesome goodness"

Yakk: Low Fat
High Fiber
All Natural
Free Range
Under New Management
Low Tar
Diet
Whole Grain
Fair and Balanced
...

Some examples:

High Fiber Dental Floss
All Natural Plastic
Free Range Carpet
Under New Management Chocolate
Low Tar Plasma TV
Diet Motor Oil
Whole Grain Lamps
Fair and Balanced Pencils

Businesses are just giving some consumers what they want. Don't hate the playa, hate the fools who mindlessly believe anything 'green' is good.

All Apologies: Though, if someone were to suggest setting standards so that only companies who were actually meeting some kind of reasonable environmental could advertise being green, the Republican whining about government regulation would be deafening.

No, it's much better to allow companies to advertise in any way they want, whether it has anything to do with reality or not. That's just good business.

And who would be the judge of what is "green", what standard or testing would they use and how much hidden money would they make on the side.

I talked to this girl at my college who was starting up a non-profit business making bio-plastics that decompose quickly and can be composted. She had cutlery made out of sweet potatoes, foam containers made from soy beans, and cups and bags made from corn. Each unit only costs about a penny more than petroleum products and it saves on the disposal end by not letting the garbage sit around for hundreds of years.

When I asked her about the problem with using food items as an industrial source, she said she wants to build a factory one day herself and make her goods out of native, seasonal nonfood plants. I was very impressed.

/Wishes more people my age were motivated to make a difference.

Exploiting envirotards for fun and profit - is there anything more satisfying or American?

Organic != Eco-Friendly. Increased land use and faster shipping are not environmentally friendly practices.

Buyer beware? In my Capitalist marketplace?

Crown_of_Shoes 2008-04-19 11:25:13 AM One of several reasons why I hate the "green" movement. It's all just window dressing. Saving the environment is all hunky-dory until it inconveniences people. All "environmentalism" is, is identifying the point that we can destroy the natural world "just enough" to permit its slightest survival, at our maximum convenience. We don't "save" the environment, we decide to what degree we can kill it the most and be able to still pat ourselves on the back.
=========================

Um, That's the industry and right-wing global-warming deniers.

Environmentalists: "Whether or not it's us that's causing it, we need to do everything to fix it. Along with all the other problems of the environment."
Industry and right-wing assholes: "The planet isn't destroyed yet, let's keep on pollutin'."

I was telling my European friends, last year, that once America sets its mind to something, there is no stopping it and things get done almost over night. Apparently, I did not make a mental adjustment in my judgement, for the malaise that has infiltrated American society, which has allowed real action/work to be substituted with lip-service and marketing.

NO; the use of earth-tones in your wasteful, polluting, over-fertilizing, poorly built, uninsulated, ecosystem destroying, non-sustainably built, McMansion do not make you "eco-friendly"; dip-wad!

Nor, does driving a 20 MPG SUV hybrid make you eco-friendly when you could simply drive a regular sedan that gets 30 MPG. MAKE A MENTAL NOTE; YOU ARE DUMB!

CowboyUpCowgirlDown

My favorite is the Range Rover enviro-lease: it comes with 45,000 miles worth of "carbon offsets" so you can drive your $90,000 V-8 gas guzzler guilt free.

What exactly is a "carbon offset" anyway?

And who would be the judge of what is "green", what standard or testing would they use and how much hidden money would they make on the side.



Did you even have to ask?