Hogwash! Or, How Animal Advocates Enable Corporate Spin by Lee Hall
It’s obvious now: Severe damage is caused by humanity’s penchant for treating the planet as our storehouse, and all living beings as our personal stock. As public awareness grows, companies sense a need to adjust. But they’ve managed, perversely, to use the need for change as a means to avoid it. Thus the rise of “greenwashing” - the appearance of cultivating ecological awareness in hopes of getting a higher profile for whatever they happen to be selling us.
Harrogate Spa, a bottled water company, says it will sell its water in lighter bottles to save plastic - avoiding the issue that we might reconsider our love for water in plastic altogether. Boeing is taking orders for what some call “green aircraft,” as though we could keep flying while the profit-driven aircraft industry solves, or at least ameliorates, the ecological damage.
Ranchers, too, are learning public relations techniques.
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3 Comments
On September 2, 2007, Heather S. wrote:
Thank you, Lee, for calling it as it is and clearing away the smoke and mirrors used by companies to justify their actions. This is an important article for all to read, and I think especially important for new vegans and vegetarians to be exposed to as a solid foundation in their understanding of animal rights.
On September 3, 2007, Curtis E. Hinkle wrote:
Thanks, Lee, for this article which will make me more aware of the propaganda and how to see through it. I will share this with many others.
On September 4, 2007, Lidia Belknap wrote:
Thank you, Lee. I read your essay on Tribe of Heart list and now i found it on FofA site too.
Thank you! I wish it appears in as many places as possible.