The Food & Water Watch blog has launched a new section called Washed Out to “expose corporate greenwashing in order to help consumers make informed decisions about which products and practices are environmentally sustainable and which are merely tricks to boost profits.” PR pros beware — this is yet another blog - among many - monitoring greenwashing missteps.

The most recent company targeted is Fiji Natural Artesian Water. The blog accuses Fiji’s “spin-doctors” of “already profit[ing] on taking a natural resource from an island that often suffers from drought and shipping it around the globe, is now capitalizing on the current public fervor for environmentally friendly products by labeling its water as “green.”

For PRWeek’s coverage on Fiji’s Green campaign click here.

TreeHugger reports that Climate Counts’ second annual company scorecard shows companies are doing a better job of improving their environmental track records. According to the site, “84% of the scored companies — among them some of the world’s largest — made improvements in their efforts to reduce greenhouse gases and to make information about those actions actions easily accessible to consumers.” Google, Anheuser-Busch, and Levi Strauss were the most improved companies, and Nike beat Canon as the top scored company this year. TreeHugger also asks readers their thoughts on green magazines.

Also:

A recent poll by the Sierra Club shows that Hispanic voters are concerned about global warming and energy — and willing to take action on the issues. Because the poll was funded by the advocacy group, some are raising their eyebrows to the findings. But it is refreshing to see the Sierra Club expanding its market, especially considering its recent multicultural missteps.

The LA Times reports, the EPA might not limit the amount of certain toxins in the water supply.

Another crisis unfolds for the baby manufacturing industry. New reports reveal baby furniture could be toxic because it contains formaldehyde.

Green News for the week 04.28.08

The LA Times asks, “How safe are your green cleaning products?” The article points out that even plant-based or so-called natural ingredients can pose health risks, largely because this space remains unregulated. The green cleaning sector should take note:

“And though green cleaners may purport to list all ingredients, the market is largely unregulated - which means consumers still must be wary of what’s in the bottle. Even cleaning products labeled ‘natural’ may contain some fraction of synthetic chemicals. Or they may contain natural ingredients consumers would rather avoid, such as petroleum distillates, some of which (namely, benzene) can cause cancer, and all of which come from oil, a nonrenewable (read: environmentally unfriendly) resource.”

Also:

- Cindy Crawford joins the long list of celebrities to speak out about the environment, reports TreeHugger. Crawford will write for Vanity Fair’s “VF Daily” as a part of the Green Beat team.

- Houston edges out Los Angeles as the top polluting city in America, reports NPR.

- Slate argues PETA’s $1 million fake meat contest is just a publicity stunt.

PRWeek reporter Alex Bruell interviewed Sharon King Hoge, editor-in-chief of Verdant magazine, for this week’s issue. Among other interesting questions, Bruell asked Hoge, what sets Verdant apart amid a crowd of green mags and blogs? Hoge’s response:

I think what’s different about Verdant is we’re a little more higher-end. We’re a sister of the cottage and gardens interior magazines, which are beautiful shelter magazines. Our approach at Verdant is that it didn’t have to be a grim Birkenstock, organic way of life. You can have a very sophisticated upscale lifestyle which also is reverent to the environment.

For the full interview, click here.

A report released on Earth Day estimated that 1.35 billions of gasoline could be saved each year if American employees worked from home about one-and-half days a week. It’s no secret that many PR agencies use flextime to lure and retain talent. But to honor Earth Day at least one agency used this policy to make statement about its eco-friendly workstyle.

Last week, Manning, Selvage & Lee allowed the 45 employees in its San Francisco and Los Angeles offices to work from home. The agency has also created a “green team” that is focused on making the firm’s daily business operations more environmentally-friendly.

Environmental (and retention) benefits aside, working from home can pose drawbacks. The kind of collaborative chemistry that transpires during face-to-face contact is not easily replicated through the telephone, instant messaging, or e-mail.

PR firm Capstrat took a different approach to Earth Day, and launched Green 365, which highlights its commitment to year-round eco-friendly practices. The site was promoted with a so-called “P.S. campaign,” in which employees included a tag at the end of their e-mails with a p.s. encouraging readers to visit the new site.

Any thoughts on how PR agencies should promote their own green initiatives?

Happy Earth Day, readers. With so much media attention on green issues already, I wondered how the media would cover the environment differently on its special day. One trend is to seriously question how marketing-focused Earth Day has become. Ad Age asks, “Is Earth Day the new Christmas?” (subscription required). The Environment Report considers implications of selling Earth Day and the Washington Post wonders what Earth Day really means to the public. PRWeek’s editorial also questioned how much green marketing consumers actually absorb.

Other Earth Day highlights:

- Disney launches its new film production unit called Disneynature, which will make feature-length documentaries about animals and the environment. The Monday announcement garnered prime Earth Day coverage in the Los Angeles Times, NPR, and the New York Times.

- Time Magazine courts controversy with its eco-version of the famous photo of marines at the battle of Iwo Jima. The magazine also features its choice for the top 10 green Web sites.

- Regional rivals Los Angeles and San Francisco vie for the “greenest city” bragging rights, reports the LA Times.

- With so much focus on Earth’s problems, some subset of the population must be wondering, “If things are so bad, why should I even bother to make it better?” See Michael Pollan’s New York Times piece for answers.

- Treehugger reports that for the first time Earth Day is making waves in Latin America.

- The auto industry makes more progress toward becoming a greener industry.

- But Earth Day might not be so celebratory for ionic air purifier manufacturers. A LA Times article questions whether the devices actually get rid of dust and might emit ozone.

Aarti Shah is on vacation until April 21. We’ll try to post in the interim, but please check back when she returns.

CHICAGO: Cision tripled the size of its green media database in response to the increase in journalists covering that beat, which has also increased threefold in the last 18 months, according to Cision’s research. Additions include blogs, Web sites, TV outlets, publications, and radio. Cision research analysts found that the most popular green topics in the media include green living, green technology, green building, eco tourism, and sustainable development. Some of the blogs included in the Cision database are Green Wombat, Cleantech from CNet, and Dot Earth from The New York Times.

Green News for the week of 04.08.08

Ecover, a favorite among green consumers, has come under scrutiny after the Organic Consumer Association tested the brand’s products and found an alleged cancer-causing agent, known as 1,4-Dioxane, according to TreeHugger.  Ecover’s PR team responded to TreeHugger by saying that Dioxane shows up in many other consumer products and that the levels found in the test are well-below reporting thresholds.

Also:

Green building for dummies

Plug-in hybrids that will run mostly on battery, rather than oil

Manufacturers want biodegradable plastic bags

Young folks want to work with carbon credits

Here’s a slice of humble pie for all those working in green PR. The 2008 Brandjunkie survey asked respondents, “What brand do you think is truly (going) ‘green’?” The answer is jarring, yet obvious: None. I think this comment from the survey sums up the general skepticism surrounding green, “All brands are out to please their stockholders—that’s the only ‘green’ direction they are truly focused in.”

But the survey points out, all hope is not lost. While “nobody” topped the list, Toyota, BP, the Body Shop, and Honda rounded out the top five. It should be noted, all four of these brands started green initiatives before that space got as cluttered as it is now.

So, What brand do you think is truly (going) green?