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Greenwash is where a company, government, or other organization advertises positive environmental practices while acting in the opposite way. (See Wikipedia:Greenwash for more descriptive and encyclopedic information. The planned focus of this Appropedia page is on discussing examples of greenwash and ways of combating it.) This may be a matter of "spin" or outright dishonesty. Greenwashing is common in industry and widespread.[1]
Cheating on efficiency tests
A device has been installed by manufacturers in refrigerators to cheat energy efficiency tests. The device detects test conditions (typically 22 degrees Celsius [76 degrees Fahrenheit]) and activates the energy-saving mode, creating an impression of lower running costs and energy usage. The devices have been banned in Australia since 2007, but one manufacturer was caught using the device in 2010.[2]
Problems with life cycle analysis
Life cycle analysis is often performed in decision making on what new products to invest in. It involves comparing some competing suppliers, their different products of this certain type of desired product. They should really need to make the analysis much larger, more heuristicW and think carefully about if they can choose another type of product or service that is better and perhaps can replace the need entirely for the product type they intended to purchase, or one type of product with several combined functions and options can replace certain product types. There are also possibilities for doing any other measure in the organisation that can reduce the need for purchase of new products.
Cryptocurrency
Tech entrepreneurs like Jack Dorsey and Elon Musk have argued that Bitcoin is environmentally sound because it incentivizes renewable energy.[3] In reality, the vast majority of the energy used for generating Bitcoin is coal-based[4] and it's all used for an asset that is rarely used as a currency but as a collectible hobby and speculative asset. Were Bitcoin an actual currency, a life cycle analysis of how it compares to minted and printed currency could be done to see which is more appropriate.
Legal approaches
The Competition and Markets Authority in the United Kingdom has begun publicly shaming fashion companies that have deceptive labeling and marketing about their ecological appropriateness.[5]
Notes
- ↑ Accusations of 'greenwashing' by big oil companies are well-founded, a new study finds by Joe Hernandez, published by NPR, 2022-02-16
- ↑ Green fridge labelled a fraud
- ↑ Jack Dorsey and Elon Musk agree on bitcoin's green credentials from the BBC, 2021-04-22
- ↑ Joe Sommerlad (2022-03-22). "Why does Bitcoin mining use so much energy from fossil fuels?". The Independent. Retrieved 2022-04-03.
- ↑ Helena Horton (2022-03-11). "Greenwashing UK fashion firms to be named and shamed by watchdog". The Guardian. Retrieved 2022-03-15.
