Avoid Greenwashers' False Claims: How Do I Know I'm Buying Green?

(Page 4 of 4)

July/August 2007
By Eric Corey Freed 
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Some health experts are concerned about placing fly-ash chemicals into a building, but an EPA study suggests the chemical reaction of concrete neutralizes fly ash’s mercury content.

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So, how does concrete stack up? Many people consider concrete that contains fly ash to be a green material.

A Word of Caution

Beware of false certifications or pseudo-nonprofits. Referred to as “Astroturf,” these fake grassroots organizations are typically funded by the very polluters they promote. For example, the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) calls itself a nonprofit dedicated to “advancing the principles of free enterprise,” and it has been one of the most vocal naysayers about climate change. In reality, CEI is a front funded by Exxon Mobil, Pfizer, General Motors and the American Petroleum Institute, among others.

In the building world, the Vinyl Institute, a trade association representing vinyl manufacturers, spends a lot of money to promote the so-called energy-saving, environmental and health benefits of vinyl as a building product. The realities of vinyl and PVC are somewhat different. Referred to as the “poison plastic” or the “asbestos of the 21st century,” vinyl is considered one of the most environmentally damaging materials produced.

The Healthy Building Network has been educating consumers about vinyl (www.HealthyBuilding.net). Greenpeace has a campaign showing how to go “PVC free” (www.GreenPeace.org). The Vinyl Institute, with an estimated annual budget in the millions, can continue to cloud the judgment of consumers through websites implying a scientific basis for vinyl’s healthy characteristics.

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