More consumers want to buy environmentally friendly products, but many are confused about what it means to be a green company - often because of unclear messaging by marketers, reports NPR. Among the companies criticized for misleading messaging is BP and its “beyond petroleum” tagline, largely because the majority of the company’s business still comes from oil. The report also cites a study released last week by Bentley College that ranked companies based on how green they are perceived to be by Generation Y. The rankings reflect consumer confusion, with Toyota ranking number one despite being a manufacturer of SUVs and Nike landing on the “worst” list despite recycling shoes and using organic materials, according to NPR.

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Members of the Rockefeller family urge Exxon to take global warming more seriously and to seek alternative fuel sources, the NY Times

Wired contributing editor Spencer Reiss explains his controversial cover piece to NPR

Hybrids are soaring in , resulting in long waiting lists for consumers, reports the LA Times

Solar gadgets next for Apple? Maybe, according to TreeHugger.com

Wired’s latest cover is an alarming and ironic call for environmentalists to: “Keep Your SUV. Forget organics. Go nuclear. Screw the spotted owl.” The cover story argues that carbon emissions is the most important green issue, and especially courts controversy in its laundry list of 10 “inconvenient truths” about the environment. Among them: “accept genetic engineering,” “farm the forests,” “used cars are better than hybrids,” and “organics are not the answer”. The issue also includes a counterpoint to the inevitably contentious piece.

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Green West, a convention to showcase eco-friendly businesses, opened this week. Among the most popular items were zero-flush urinals, soybean-based cleaning products, and bamboo fiber bathrobes, the LA Times.

Automaker Lexus and celebrity environmentalist Paul McCartney faced criticism after the company flew a new hybrid Lexus to the singer from Japan to England — essentially canceling out the the car’s environmental value, reports NPR.

Green News for the week of 05.12.08

National Geographic launched the Greendex to measure how consumers in different countries are changing their behavior toward a goal of environmental sustainability. The results are somewhat surprising, unless you consider how the survey measures consumption. The term is used to measure how often consumers repair rather than replace items; use cold water to wash laundry; choose green products rather than environmentally unfriendly ones; and use public transit.

Brazil and India tied for the highest Greendex score, followed by China, Mexico, Hungary, and Russia. Among the wealthier nations, Great Britain, Germany, and Australia tied for the highest scores, followed by Japan, Canada, and France. US consumers had the lowest Greendex score.

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Newsweek Chipotle’s business decision to use only humanely raised meat.

Nissan buzz for its electric car.

John McCain outlines to fight global warming.

Changes could be in store for green building standards.

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.

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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 .

The LA Times , 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.