| Going green and trying to be sustainable is a really | | | | clarify what dying strains of migrating birds had to do |
| good thing but it is now starting to go over the edge. | | | | with this carpet being the greenest carpet ever but |
| As Kermit the frog once said, "Its not easy being | | | | for some reason he was a believer. Then he rattled |
| green." While on a U.S. Air flight this week I read an | | | | on about some other unsubstantiated claims |
| article about an entire university school system that | | | | regarding another competing manufacturer who was |
| was promoted as being totally green. Has it really | | | | the other, "greenest," carpet mill in the world. The |
| come to this? An entire university claiming it was | | | | confusing part was that the second manufacturer |
| completely sustainable. Perhaps everyone rides bikes | | | | was exactly opposite in manufacturing process and |
| to school, all facilities are solar powered and LEED | | | | sustainable practices from the first mill. |
| certified and the organization leaves no carbon | | | | As I continued reading it all became clear that this |
| footprint. It could also be that they recycle | | | | author was a carpet dealer who primarily sold both |
| everything, they produce their own energy, they | | | | mills. Aha! Here was the real green story of big |
| take nothing from the earth while growing all their | | | | money. That is often the problem with green claims. |
| own food for the cafeterias? | | | | They get mixed up with the green of the Benjamin's. |
| Yes I am being facetious, but we must admit that | | | | It turned out that his claims were not really |
| the environmental green wash that is happening right | | | | environmentally accurate or accountable at all and |
| now is truly reached an all time high. Surely the | | | | certainly did not adhere to the Federal Trade |
| university was doing good things but the hype and | | | | Commissions guidelines on marketing claims. This was |
| marketing far exceeds their good green deeds. It | | | | particularly obvious to those people who have seen |
| may be because going green and becoming | | | | this dealer dump piles of old carpet in the landfill or |
| sustainable has almost reached religious proportions or | | | | out back behind the warehouse in his dumpster. Is |
| perhaps it is that every marketer on the planet is | | | | dumping old carpet in the landfill on a daily basis now |
| trying to say they are saving mother earth but it is | | | | a sustainable practice? Do they give carbon credits |
| really getting out of hand. It is this type of bogus | | | | for that? |
| hype that causes confusion in the market and pushes | | | | For those people that really care about little things |
| people to make poor sustainable choices whether at | | | | like facts and truths there are a few places to check |
| home or in their building and office finishes. | | | | out green carpet options and get some perspective |
| I read a green carpet blog last week by a guy who | | | | on what is really green based on current knowledge |
| said he saw a carpet executive on the weather | | | | of what those mills offer. Some of these sites list |
| channel and he stated that the mill was, "the most | | | | different levels of Environmentally Preferable |
| sustainable carpet mill in the world." I guess | | | | Products. Do not assume a green label means |
| everything on TV is real and factual now kind of like | | | | products are really green and do not blindly trust that |
| the Family Guy. Maybe he just liked the executives | | | | some video on Youtube is accurate or the gospel |
| suit and thought it was made of hemp but sadly and | | | | green truth. Get the facts and check out the |
| typically he did not offer any data supporting his | | | | following sites if you are confused by the |
| claims. Either way, it sure sounded like the executive | | | | greenwashing and think green carpet issues have |
| was selling carpet using scary stories of species dying | | | | gone too far. You might actually be able to make |
| off from the planet as his tactic. The blogger did not | | | | sense of the nonsense. |