environment

Joel Makower of Greener World Media has a new book out, titled Strategies for the Green Economy, which tells the story of many (often failed) environmental marketing campaigns. Grist magazine gives the book a mostly favorable review, but points to the "question of Makower's myriad business interests. To his credit, he discloses obvious conflicts when they arise. Case in point: When writing about Clorox's Green Works cleaning product, he informs readers that he consulted with the company on the rollout. That's helpful, but I would have preferred that Makower disclose all business dealings he's had with companies mentioned in the book." (As we've reported previously, there is also some controversy over the deal that Clorox made with the Sierra Club to promote Green Works, which was recently highlighted as a marketing case study by Advertising Age.) In a recent interview, Makower says companies are "creating fairly sophisticated score-carding systems for developing their products" to meet environmental standards. ... But in large part we're treading water. Whatever improvements we're making are being offset by the sheer growth of the economy. Yes, we're seeing things happening on a much different level than even three years ago, but it's still really tinkering at the margins."

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working to relax air quality rules and make it easier to build coal-fired power plants, oil refineries and other pollution-emitting enterprises near national parks and wilderness areas, even though half of the EPA's ten regional administrators have formally opposed the plan. The push to weaken the Clean Air Act involves changing the method used to measure air pollution near national parks so that pollution is averaged over much longer periods, effectively diluting large spikes and protecting polluters from violating the law. Mark Wenzler, who directs clean-air programs for the National Parks Conservation Association, remarked that "The Bush administration's staunch commitment to coal is so deep that they're willing to sacrifice our national parks on the way out the door." Jeffrey R. Holmstead, who served as chief of EPA's air and radiation office, helped initiate the change. Holmstead has since left EPA and now works at the power industry legal and lobbying firm Bracewell & Giuliani.

In the final months of his administration, George W. Bush is working to enact a flurry of new federal regulations that will weaken rules protecting consumers and the environment. The so-called "midnight regulations" aim to relax standards that protect drinking water, loosen controls on global warming pollutants, remove obstacles to ocean fishing and ease restrictions on mountaintop coal mining activities. The new regulations would be difficult to undo, since the law mandates lengthy periods for re-drafting, re-analysis and public comment. Such activity by an outgoing president is not unusual, nor is the number of regulations being considered. But Matthew Madia of OMB Watch, a group formed to "lift the veil of secrecy surrounding the White House's Office of Management and Budget," called Bush's deluge of rules "a last-minute assault on the public ... happening on multiple fronts."

Americans for American Energy (AAE), an energy front group established by the public relations firm Pac/West Communications, asked Congress to investigate "possible illegal coordination between U.S. Interior Department officials and several national environmental groups." At issue are contacts between the Department's National Landscape Conservation System and the Wilderness Society and National Wildlife Federation -- groups AAE accuses of "pursuing an anti-American energy political agenda." According to Representative Rob Bishop, a Republican from Utah, the Interior Department's inspector general is already looking into the matter. Federal employees are generally prohibited "from using appropriated funds or their official positions to lobby Congress." The Deseret News notes that the probe "comes after the Interior Department ... found that officials at its Minerals Management Service engaged in sexual relationships with energy industry representatives, and accepted gifts from them."

In July, oil industry figure T. Boone Pickens launched the PickensPlan to promote "energy independence" from "foreign oil" for the United States. In the plan, Pickens promotes the use of wind power to generate 20 percent of U.S. electricity, and natural gas and biofuels for transportation. Pickens now has business interests from funds management, water projects and the use of natural gas as a transportation fuel. O'Dwyers PR Daily reports that Pickens has hired the Washington D.C. lobbying firm Patton Boggs "to win Washington support" for the plan. One of those managing the account for Patton Boggs is Benjamin Ginsberg, who was national counsel to the two Bush-Cheney campaigns and, his biographical note states, "played a central role in the 2000 Florida recount." O'Dwyers reports that Pickens used Sloane & Co for the launch of his plan and has also been using North Bridge Communications for PR support.

The Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland (ASAI) is alarmed about the extent of corporate greenwashing. The authority's chief executive, Frank Goodman, explained, "You are not allowed to say your product is good for the environment unless you can prove this. Our code is very specific on this point." Of particular concern are claims by companies that they have become "carbon neutral" by buying carbon offsets for their greenhouse gas emissions. John Curran, the environmental executive for Musgrave Group, which markets leading retail brands, said, "It's easy to make the claim, but it is almost impossible to really be carbon neutral. ... Low carbon is the best you can aim for. But once PR gets a hold of things, being seen as green can turn into a crusade for some companies."

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a trade association of car and light truck manufacturers, has launched "EcoDriving," "a national campaign intended to empower consumers on an individual basis to reduce fuel use and CO2 emissions." The campaign will utilize social networking, events, and media outreach to "offers manufacturers an opportunity to show consumers they are part of the solution." Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the Environmental Defense Fund have all endorsed the campaign. But as CMD previously reported, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers employed PR firm Fleishman-Hillard in 2007 to oppose efforts to raise fuel mileage standards to 52 miles per gallon by 2030.

A year ago, World Bank President Robert Zoellick committed the lending institution to "significantly step up our assistance" to fight climate change through its loans. Instead, the World Bank is increasing its financing of fossil-fuel projects worldwide. One example is the coal-powered Tata Ultra Mega power plant in western India, a $4.14 billion project scheduled to go online in 2012. When it is fully operational, it will become one of the world's 50 largest greenhouse-gas emitters and "will emit more carbon dioxide annually than the nation of Tunisia," according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The World Bank will provide "$450 million in loans and guarantees for the project and also may buy a $50 million stake in it." While the U.S. is insisting that developing countries to cut greenhouse gas emissions, the World Bank -- over which it has tremendous influence -- is supporting projects that do the opposite. "The World Bank's lending record does not match up to Zoellick's rhetoric," says Heike Mainhardt-Gibbsof the Bank Information Center, a World Bank watchdog group. "The institution is simply not slowing down its significant funding to fossil-fuel projects that will emit greenhouse gases for 20 to 40 years."

Coca-Cola wants you to think of it as green. That's why its public relations firm, Manning, Selvage & Lee, promoted the premiere of the soft drink company's film "Environmental Champions" at the Beijing Olympics complex. The film profiles the "environmental achievements" of seven participants in the Olympic Torch Relay, including "the first American male to ski to the South Pole." Coke "plans to leverage the ... film beyond the Olympics by making it available to field communications teams throughout the world." Coke also "presented each Olympian [with] a Coca-Cola t-shirt made with blended cotton and PET [an easily-recycled material] plastic bottles," and each Paralympian with "visors made with recycled PET." Manning, Selvage & Lee's other "ECO Network" clients include such green companies as General Motors, Chevron and Marathon Pipeline.

The Whooping Crane population has recovered in large part due to being designated as endangeredCurrently, the Endangered Species Act requires independent scientific assessment by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Service of proposed construction projects. But the Bush administration has proposed allowing construction to proceed, if the agency whose project it is sees no problem -- even if the agency has no biologist on staff. Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne "described the new rules as a 'narrow regulatory change' that 'will provide clarity and certainty to the consultation process under the Endangered Species Act.'" Others see it differently. Rep. Nick J. Rahall II, the chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, said, "I am deeply troubled by this proposed rule, which gives federal agencies an unacceptable degree of discretion to decide whether or not to comply with the Endangered Species Act. Eleventh-hour rulemakings rarely, if ever, lead to good government -- this is not the type of legacy this Interior Department should be leaving for future generations." Bob Irvin of Defenders of Wildlife called the change "a case of asking the fox to guard the chicken coop."