A New Scientist report highlights the dramatic differences between consumers’ perception of a company’s “greenness” and reality.

New Scientist investigated consumer perception via a 2008 Earthsense survey of consumer ratings, and compared those numbers to each company’s Trucost score, the estimated cost of its environmental impact as a percentage of its annual revenue. The resulting infographic is striking: you can see a clear divide between consumer perception and real performance of certain companies.

A few examples which standout are potentially perceived as being greener than they are Discovery Communications, whose environment-focused television programming probably influences consumer opinions, and Whole Foods Market, although the article defends them by pointing out that they haven’t yet released all of their emissions data.

On the flip side, some companies rated by… [view entry]

We all shop and live in a capitalistic society.  That being said, more so than ever consumers are given the option to buy “green”, but what does that really mean?  Cage free eggs do not necessarily mean chickens roam wild on hundreds of acres, but instead have an inch or so more room to move in their pen.   And “organic”?  How are we really sure what we buy is truly organic?  Is a USDA “organic” label enough?  For the conscientious consumer, all of these questions plague our minds but there is hope in the form of Good Guide: http://www.goodguide.com/.   This ever-updated database is a wealth of information for people looking to make the greenest bang for their buck.   The ratings are based on health, environmental and social performance http://www.goodguide.com/about/ratings.

Take a look for yourself… [view entry]