Argument Outline

Greenwashing is a method used by companies to present themselves as eco-friendly to increase sales but fail to make the necessary changes. Greenwashing can also be used as an attempt to compensate for past environmental damages caused by the company. There are many reasons why consumers and companies are looking to support green products. A main reason is to better our efforts in decreasing global warming. Another reason is for the profits these industries obtain and for consumer support. Food, personal care items, household items, and even oil companies have claimed to have turned to the green side. The biggest issue with greenwashing is that it deceives consumers who are actually trying to improve their carbon footprint and causes confusion. It is important to separate the companies that are honest about their products and those who want to attract costumers and only interested in covering up what goes on behind closed doors.
The companies that spend millions of dollars to advertise their green transformations could be using that money in areas that will actually benefit the environment. We aren't going to get very far if consumers are being lied to and don't know which product is actually recycled, sustainable, and eco-friendly. If people knew how often they are being lied to by large corporations they probably wouldn't be so supportive of their products. It's important to understand the origins and processes of what we buy and consume and how it can affect the environment, global warming, and our bodies.


I. Intro
II. Examples of Greenwashing
a) ExxonMobil
b) Personal Care Products
c) Georgia-Pacific
d) Shell
e) Monsanto

III. Agriculture
a) Organic Food- guidelines, loopholes, benefits
b) Local Farmers vs Large Corporations

IV. Enforcing the Laws of Environmental Protection & Problems
a) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)- often unrealistic goals, time frames, complex & technical
b) Interplay of federal, state, and local governments in regulating statues
c) Difficult to prosecute offenders- extremely time consuming, effort and resources needed for investigation and prosecution
d) Economic and political pressures dissuade prosecutors from filing charges against large corporations

V. The Media's Role
a) internet- abundance of information; can cause confusion
b) advertisements

VI. What We Can Do as Consumers
a) investigate products, search options
b) talk to local farmers
c) boycott products out loud

VII. Conclusion


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