Comments on: Editorial – Beyond the Greenwash

By: G

Sat, 03 Nov 2007 05:49:03 +0000

And just to back up that previous comment…. anyone who thinks co-op bank are ethical may want to investigate who handles credit cards for the bank…….

By: G

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 20:40:51 +0000

Hi Lisa, agreed … companies such as the co-operative bank…… who wouldn’t know “green” or “ethical” or “co-operative” if it hit them around the head…. A complete sham ! Worse – people actually believe them !

By: Lisa Jackson

Lisa Jackson — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 18:38:57 +0000

Yes Adam pipe dreams eh… yes I know, in an ideal world!! Mind you saying that, I think Pulse covered recently the government directive pointing to plant diets as more efficient, the one Viva! leaked? (Ed- you may have to correct me there!)
I was thinking the other day, one of the most effective ways of immediately cutting energy wastage would surely be to get offices to switch off lights and computers etc every evening? I once walked past the “gherkin” building in London at about 11pm and it was lit up like a christmas tree!! And there’s me, obsessively switching off lights and my mobile charger…..

By: Adam

Adam — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 16:17:47 +0000

Interesting article, Lisa, and I agree with some of your points. However, you shoot the whole thing dead by suggesting banning meat. Sure, such an idea would make for a good headline, but it’s not practicable and as a policy is never going to take ethical living beyond its current 3-5 per cent constituency (made-up stat) and into the mainstream. And I say that as a veggie myself!

By: Lisa Jackson

Lisa Jackson — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 09:21:42 +0000

Ruth I agree that bullying legislations are not acceptable – I really didnt intend my suggestions to be about having a group of people forcing opinions on us all, more about taking positive steps for making a real difference to the pollution and waste issues on our planet. A simple ban on plastic or throwaway goods wouldn’t be as complex as PC Laws, and was intended as a simple solution to a very real and growing problem.

By: Ruth

Ruth — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 07:41:22 +0000

‘Beyond the greenwash’ While I agreed with a lot of the article, I cannot agree with the bits about ‘passing laws – people will adapt’. I think it’s very wrong of any group of people to think that they have the right to force their opinions on everyone else. As an example, I’ll give you the PC laws passed by Labour. I cannot think of any other piece of legislation that has caused more dissension, more ridiculous court cases & wasted more public money than that.

By: Jenny

Jenny — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 14:10:15 +0000

It winds me up that every product on the market is now considered eco or green, even when they’re not. For example – there’s a car ad on TV at the moment that states the car ‘Has the lowest CO2 emissions in it’s class.’ This is just a coincidence – they didn’t actually try to achieve this, and imagine what they could have produced if they had tried to design a low emission car! Also there’s the fabric softener ad – as the softener is concentrates and now comes in smaller bottles it means there are less lorries on the roads. Great but neither the softener nor the bottles are eco – and who uses softener anymore anyway – it’s much more eco to do without! The danger is people don’t really think about these things and just take the advertisers word for it.

By: Karen

Karen — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 15:07:35 +0000

Reductions in emissions are definately the order of the day I agree entirely. It’s not just the ban on plastic bags is it though? Almost everything is packed up in some sort of plastic or polystyrene foam. The introduction of a charge for excess litter may actually bring some resolution to this as the consumers will eventually grow to reject the excess packaging. Could it be the same with energy bills too? It might be a good idea to cap electricity consumption etc so that excessive users such as those heating empty rooms in large houses or TV etc in every room would in fact have to pay a lot more for their energy consumption. This way the elderly and needy would not be penalised too.
Yes we certainly do need to think of a much more holistic picture. Twice this week I have put the £1 into the collection boxes of childrens charities(unnamed) only to be able to recieve some promotional chocolate which is made with cocoa picked in the third world countries with slave labour. So to help a child here in the UK another elsewhere in the world would be suffering. EVERY company needs to stop and think what they are doing!
Well that’s me back to the drawing board to analyse what exactly I am doing with my own business. Ok it all takes time but to become a socially and environmentally conscious company is well worth the effort.

By: pauline pearce

pauline pearce — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:52:42 +0000

If people were to be truly green they would not be swayed by any advertising campaigns as goods would only be purchased when essential. Therefore, until we can alter the dedication to greed, materialism and image which appears to dominate our culture we cannot seriously expect any progress even if the government implemented radical changes. I have spoken to several people who do not believe that any change they make will affect them; and, although they have children and grandchildren, they accept that any negative affects will occur after their lifetime and does not concern them. Until we can awaken the conscience of people like this nothing will alter.