What Does Green Mean?

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by: John Winsor

Eric Wilson pens a wonderful article in today’s New York Times exploring what it means for a product to be truly green.

"No matter how sincere fashion designers may be in their efforts to embrace the green movement this season, consumers may find themselves perplexed by how to gauge the environmental impact of the many products that claim to be eco-friendly."

As Chris Van Dyke, from NAU points out, it’s a hard anyone to control all the parts of a product. “When you only look at the raw materials to ask if something is really green, you are like the blind person holding the tail of the elephant. There’s a whole lot of other factors you need to assess.”

It’s only a matter of time before the tools exist for complete transparency. Just think you’ll be able to point the web cam inside a jeans factory to not only watch your jeans being made but also be able to check the factories hiring practices and raw material sources. Customers will eventually demand this type of transparency, which will not only bring continuity to what green means but also apply social pressure for companies to employ not only the best environmental practices but also have the best worker conditions.

Original Post: http://www.johnwinsor.com/my_weblog/2007/12/what-does-green.html