In class the past few weeks we have talked a lot about greenwashing. Greenwashing is when companies pose as environmentally friendly when in reality their actions do not match their claims. According to TerraChoice, there are seven essential sins of greenwashing, including the sin of hidden trade off, the sin of no proof, the sin of vagueness, the sin of worshiping false labels, the sin of irrelevance, the sin of lesser of two evils, and the sin of fibbing. TerraChoice reports that more than 95% of companies who present products claiming to be “green” have been found to commit at least one of these seven sins of greenwashing. I found a commercial presented by Chevrolet claiming their new line of cars reduces carbon emissions by up to 8 million metric tons. Also, they claim that they will plant new trees when someone buys a car from them. Research shows that Chevy was basing their information on EPA standards, so the cars are moderately more energy efficient. Chevrolet has a history of disregard for the environment, and they are using advertisements to appear “green” to gain business from consumers. This advertisement fits into the sin of vagueness because it does not explain to consumers what their information is based on. It also commits the sin of fibbing by comparing their reduction of carbon emissions to planting a forest the size of Yellowstone National Park.
A lot of companies use greenwashing in their advertisements in hopes that consumers will buy their product and spend more money on their product to help the environment. According to TerraChoice, greenwashing is the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company. I believe that no company should knowingly mislead consumers into believing something they know not to be true. It is important for us as consumers to be aware of the use of greenwashing and be able to spot it and do research into products before actually purchasing them.
Abbey Klever
Communicating Health, Science and the Environment 