Naturalpath

The Green market has been overheating with “green wash” claims, potentially damaging the marketplace by diluting the authenticity of all green claims. I believe that without guidelines or self-regulation, “green” risks going the way of “natural” a term which has become both vague and ubiquitous, and now has lost any real meaning. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the key federal consumer watchdog agency, has been mute until just recently. The FTC just announced that it is reviewing its “ Green Guides” for the first time since 1998 and will hold its first workshop on carbon offset programs which they believe present a "heightened potential for deception”. Government oversight may thwart the most egregious green washers, but it’s just too slow and cumbersome a tool for most of the issues that arise. Not only do green claims span a multitude of industries, products and services, but even within specific verticals there are so many factors that weigh into a claim of green or socially responsibility, ranging from the energy or inputs used to manufacture and deliver a product, to reusing or recycling a product, to the manner in which a producer treats its labor force or suppliers. I think the Internet will offer a more flexible and robust solution. I know of several firms that are trying to create services that scrutinize green claims. Think of it as a cross between Wikipedia and Consumer Reports. I know that the founder of Pangea Organics, Joshua Onysko, is working on one such service. So ads with green claims might have a type of logo that links to a web site where the company and product are rated according to a variety of factors.