Top greenwashing offender: The United States Government
The Greenwashing Blog just joined the Hippie Network, and we’re feeling confident. Enough to challenge one of the biggest greenwashers right off the bat? We think so.
The United States Government is one of the worst greenwashers in the history of the term. Here are some examples of the environmentally misleading statements and programs hailed by the Government that fall very short of the truth.
Greenwashing: The Cash for Clunkers Program
Called one of the most successful programs of the Obama administration of 2009, the cash for clunkers program subsidized the trade-in of older, less environmentally friendly vehicles. Sounds great right? Look deeper.
The program states “New cars give off less emissions. This will be a help to the environment.” The truth is, the environmental impact of creating a new car far outweighed the benefits of driving a slightly newer car that gets slightly better mileage. Let’s see this for what it is, an economic development tool. Which it was very successful at. And that’s fine, but don’t call it an environmental program.
Greenwashing: The Environmental Protection Agency
It almost seems too ironic to be true, but the United States Environmental Protection Agency is an incredibly insulting greenwashing offender. The EPA is charged with the responsibility of protecting the citizens of the United States from environmental threats.
Their mission is to Protect Human Health and the Environment. They claim to be running hundreds of programs to protect us yet delayed the release of scientific evidence that proves greenhouse gasses are harmful to our health.
Greenwashing: Copenhagen and Hopenhagen
We went to Copenhagen with a little hope that something might come from it. That was the whole idea behind the Hopenhagen movement. But with corporate sponsors as “founding partners” there was never any hope. (We’ll get to the “founding partners” later in the week).
The United States came away from Copenhagen $100 Billion more in debt, and without any meaningful commitment from any world leader including President Obama. As was the case previous to the Obama Administration, there was no real commitment to changing our ways.
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