Green Marketing's Dirty Secret: Are We Fools or Just Hypocrites?

Green marketing is all about showcasing the eco-friendly aspects of a product to drive its sales. It’s a strategy that highlights how a product aligns with environmental values, appealing to consumers who prioritize sustainability.

The concept of green marketing isn’t very old. It gained traction when the push for eco-conscious living started making waves, first in advanced countries and then spreading globally as the importance of going green became undeniable.

For those embracing a greener lifestyle, green products are a must. And no, it’s not about the color! These are environmentally friendly products, designed and produced with the planet in mind. From creation to consumption, they meet strict environmental standards, ensuring minimal impact on our world.

Crafting a Greener Future: Understanding Environmental Standards in Manufacturing

In today’s world, sustainability is more than just a buzzword—it’s a responsibility. When it comes to manufacturing, adhering to environmental standards is a crucial step toward creating a cleaner, healthier planet. But what exactly does it mean to follow these standards, and how does it lead to the creation of what we call a “green product”? Let’s dive in.

A green product is one that’s made with the environment in mind, produced by a company that fully complies with established environmental standards. These standards aren’t just guidelines—they’re a commitment to reducing the ecological footprint of manufacturing processes. So, what do these standards entail?

So what if I pollute the environment. Can you stop me?

It’s the 11’o clock in the morning. A person in not-so-good dressing gets down from an almost obsolete vehicle and gets into the factory located in an area with a stinking odor of industrial waste and rubbish.

He gets into the factory after showing his service card to the watchman who reluctantly allows him to go inside. His confidence shows he must have the authority to get into a factory.

He is then taken to a lavishly designed office where a person is sitting and nothing is on his table. He soon after entering the room asks the person sitting on the other side of the table without doing any formalities.

Well; I am a government official. Can I see any top manager of this factory? 

You can talk to me, I am the owner of this factory.

I want to ask you that do you treat the effluent of your factory before disposing of it?

Treat, what do you mean by treat; is that effluent sick that I should treat it medically?

Top 5 reasons you must not become environmentalist in a poor country

Every profession has its own worth. Medicine, engineering, information technology, business management, blogging, internet marketing and all others professions have various pluses and minuses. But practitioner of nothing of them has to face a ridiculous situation like the one in the field of environmental management has to face in practical life. Environmental management though apparently sounds like one of the above lucrative professions but it is quite different in a poor country when one wants to implement his knowledge to earn money. Therefore, it is widely said that if you really want to grow professionally you must not become an environmentalists in a poor country. 

Here are top 5 reasons you must not become an environmentalist in a poor country.

How to avoid food wastage in parties?

This year United Nations Environment Program set the theme of World Environment Day 2013 as THINK EAT SAVE to convince people waste less food and save the resource depletion. If half of the food that is wasted all over the world per year is saved it may be enough to feed any of the starved countries of the world. Moreover half of the people who have to go to their bed hungry will be able to have their meal. Presently out of seven people one person goes to bed hungry according to confirm statistics of world hunger.

At home we can stop food from wasting through different ways because it ultimately benefits us. If we don’t waste food it will reduce our grocery bill. We will be able to invest that saved money to earn more. Ultimately we will have more money and higher standard of living. In this way we will be able to eat higher quality of food with more nutrition. Similarly while eating out we don’t waste food because we pay for it. If some food

Green salute to Turks who were injured for saving a park

First time in the environmental history of the world thousands of Turks resisted against the demolition of a park and cutting of six hundred trees inside of it in Istanbul’s commercial hub. Nearly one thousand liberal and green lover Turks received multiple injuries and some of them are maim seriously that is a valiant show of resistance for a green cause. It is a sign of hope that now people are coming out on roads to save leftover greenery in commercial hubs that is the last shield for them from rising level of air pollution.

Frenzy for development

It is actually a tug of war between development and sustainable development. Most of the least developed nations just in frenzy of getting more and more developed don’t take care of

How to become environment minister in any poor country?

You need not to hold any degree in the discipline of environmental sciences. Nor you should have any experience in the field of any sector related to green horizon. More interestingly if you are not highly qualified even then it's no problem. You have all the eligibility to become environment minister of any poor country of Asia or Africa. You just need to be the member of the parliament of that country and that's all. If you belong to ruling party and have no much say in your party then chances are very bright that you are made environment minister of your country. It's reason is that environment is low-priority sector in poor countries that is why powerful political representatives don't like to become its minister. That is why you can easily take over green portfolio without facing any major competition from your colleagues.

Environment sector is orphan in poor countries

In poor countries orphan is considered a person or thing that does not have any support. The sector of environment is kept in least priority in poor countries. Though environmental problems are

Just will is required for transition to green economy

A few years ago the entire world was confused over the question of which economy was the best; capitalist or the socialist. But now we all know what happened to both of them. Socialist economy collapsed just after the fall of USSR and the entire communist bloc of Eastern Europe. All these countries have modified their economic system and adopted several good features of the capitalist economy. Recent financial crisis have exposed the strength of capitalist economies in Europe and America where governments had to step in to rescue their cracking economic systems. Thank God now no two persons debate over the pros and cons of both the economic system. The whole world very well knows that the best economic system is one that is sustainable and must not work at the cost of our natural resources.

Is green economy a refuge?

No serious efforts are done in any country for the transition to green economy that is not only viable in this environmentally chaotic era but also a profitable option if it is adopted in the longer term. If someone thinks that the green economy is simply the best available option till a new system

Water, 2 billion people are dying for it; but how long?

This was the slogan of World Environment Day of 2003 that means one decade ago two billion people were facing water shortage all across the world. Now after ten years that count must have risen up because of the two factors; 1) owing to rising population of the world and 2) due to expanding water scarcity all across the globe. Surely that number must have crossed the figure of 2 billion and now it is moving towards 3 billion.

Latest facts about water shortage

It is very surprising to know that world water leaders have coined this impressive slogan ten years ago to make people act for the conservation of water. Did they succeed in their attempt? Here are the latest facts about water scarcity that shows how much they have been succeeded in their efforts.

• Owing to persistent water shortage nearly 3.5 million people all across the globe die and 99 percent of them are from developing world.
• The shortage of clean drinking water kills the kids all over the world at a rate equal to the one that results in one jumbo jet crash after every four hours.
• Every year 60 million people shift from villages to cities and towns all around the world but all of them have to settle in slums and informal settlements because of no sanitation and water supply facilities. It means there is an addition of 60 million people slum areas in human settlements every year.

Poor countries fail to manage environmental information

If you don’t know about the exact information of a problem how do you solve it? This is the main issue of every less developed country of the world. They don’t have exact environmental data to solve the problems related to their environment. They neither have capacity to collect such data nor do they have ability to manage it. As a result environmental managers of such countries just talk on the basis of guesstimates. They make their every green plan on rough estimates. That is why most of their green plans fail to bring results. Eventually they groan that they are working so hard to solve the pollution problems but because of unknown reasons they are not in a position to solve them upfront. As a result their people suffer and pay the price of the inefficiency of their green demagogues in shape of their degrading health and their weakening physical environment.

What is environmental information?

Environmental information means all the data that reflect; how is the environment of a country. It usually covers:

• Air quality of the country which means is its ambient air has or has not the required balance and ratio of the requisite gases and other matter.

How pollution control system collapses in poor countries

Why pollution of all types is rising in poor countries. There are less industries and vehicles in poor countries as compare to advance ones. But despite of this, pollution level is rising instead of at least being standing still if it does not decline. Its reason is only one. They pollute more and make no efforts to control the environmental degradation. Their pollution control system collapses soon after it is established. Let me clarify this point.

Merit is put aside

Every poor country following the suit of advanced nations first makes legislation for pollution control. Consequently it establishes pollution control agency with its branches in every district or estate to keep firm grip over all types of development activities that may pollute the environment. But while establishing the pollution control agency bad governance creeps into its mechanism because bad governance is very common in every institution of poor countries. As a result merit is entirely overlooked while hiring the staff. Non-qualified staff fails to efficiently perform and give any results for pollution control.

Corruption in environmental protection

In most of the poor countries inefficient staff doesn’t shy to do corruption which is also a common practice in poor countries. Despite flagrant violation of environmental laws no actionis taken against the violators. Polluters remain free to pollute the environment because they offer bribe to the staffers of pollution control agency. Secondly most of the polluters have high level of contacts with powerful people who fully support them to continue their polluting activities.

Threat of environmental pollution due to attacks on a UK treatment plant

A strange threat of environmental pollution hangs in County Down, Northern Ireland when several incidents of vandalism were reported at its water treatment plan during previous few months. According to details, the plant in Annsborough was attacked couple of dozen times during the previous two years and caused damage up to one hundred thousand pounds.

Danger of spillage

It is feared that if unknown miscreants again make another damaging attack, the wastewater may flood the adjoining areas causing sever environmental pollution to the community. The plant treats the raw sewage of nearly 21,000 housing and industrial units of Castlewellan and Annsborough.

Moreover, if plant stops functioning due to another blow by the rogue elements over it, it is likely that plant may stop working for sometimes. As a result the backlog of raw sewage may rise in millions of tons causing not only its storage problem but also result in outbreak of several endemic diseases. Most of this sewage comprises of human waste, industrial waste and various types of wastewater. Its substance has several harmful bacteria that create many diseases of serious nature including cholera, gastro typhoid etc. Although it is located quite away from residential area but people working in the plant would be direct hit of environmental pollutin if any further wear and tear in it occurs.

Poor dolphin the latest victim of industrial pollution

Because of the recent wave of cold in US a dolphin lost her way and later life after being trapped into a polluted canal in New York. The canal has moderate amount of industrial pollution as being near to the factories and fuel refineries. This is the latest victim of factory pollution which has also been reported. Otherwise how much the whole world is suffering from this menace is yet to be known in exact terms. No one knows how much precious marine species have yet died because of the load of industrial effluent into the water bodies.

What is industrial pollution?

When all types of refuse including solid, liquid and gaseous comes out from the factory and mixes into our natural environment of water and air by reducing its quality we call it industrial pollution. It affects the health of human beings if we drink water polluted by industries and breathe air contaminated by factory emissions. Besides it also hits the marine life and flora and fauna apart from damaging the agriculture production.

Climate Change issue from Doha to Davos

If no action is taken on climate change, our future generations will be roasted, toasted, grilled and fried. This was the clarion call released by the Managing Director of International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde on the eve of World Economic Forum meeting in Davos Switzerland. What she meant to say is if we keep on just joining our heads at the august forums like WEF and Doha talks we would do nothing. Eventually our coming generations have to face the brunt of the rising level ofclimate change.

WEF Meeting

The WEF meeting has begun in Davos where top leaders of the world would discuss the issue of climate change. They have to discuss how to shift the energy sector from fossil fuel burning to renewable sources. Its cost is propagated so huge but no one is talking about the link between climate change and economy.

Pollution likely to hit pension funds

This is quite a new harm of pollution that is revealed by a study conducted recently by Aled Jones of Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, UK, and his colleagues. Save our planet, save our pension; it is the title of the report which says if governments do not respond to environmental problems effectively they may lose the value of their funds invested in various schemes. Ultimately the funds of the government allocated to dole out pensions to retirees may also drop in value by 2050.

How pollution will hit pensioners?

Its premise is very simple. If governments keep on continuing paying less heed to environmental problems they eventually would have to allocate more funds for this purpose. Secondly their negligence to solve environment problems of their jurisdiction would raise the level of pollution. It will ultimately hit both industrial and agriculture sector of that country. As a result the overall economic development will receive a hit. The rate of return on investment would decline and pension funds will also be affected by the low rates of profit. Eventually pensioners would get lesser amounts and will have to spend retired life with limited funds.

New Thames tunnel to shrink Londoners lungs with air pollution

The local government of London has an approved plan to construct a car tunnel under the Thames river to link the south and east of the city. The plan envisages reducing the congestion providing an alternate route to move from eastern part to the southern part in less time and without any traffic jam. The project will also boost local economy by creating new jobs and give a push to construction sector.

However, environmentalists have quite a differing opinion about this new development project. They call it a willful mistake to raise the load of air pollution just to smoothen the flow of the traffic. If this tunnel is constructed – they opine -  the people living around the tunnel area have to inhale smoke emissions of 30,000 more vehicles than the quantity they are suffering from now. They say the Town Planners are no doubt serious to solve the traffic problem of the city but are simultaneously enhancing its air pollution problem.

The plan of new Thames tunnel aims to build a dual carriageway tunnel starting near the Dome on the south bank of the river and emerging on the north side in Tower Hamlets with a cost of one billion pounds. The feasibility of the project is done and work on it would start by next year.

India’s Kumbh Mela rituals lift water pollution in Ganges

This is another problem of the least developed countries where several religious rituals equally contribute in raising various types of pollution. Either it is Diwali which pushes the noise pollution up, Eidul Adha that generates animal waste in huge amount or Christmas that produces solid waste; very little can be said about this issue because of their sanctity. But it is quite clear from the teachings of every religion of the world that all of them stresses upon the need of maintaining the cleanliness that is the foundation of the clean environment.

Cleansing of soul and body

In famous Indian city Allahbad a huge congregation of Hindus is held regularly after every 12 years that is called Kumbh Mela. In this religious ceremony the worshippers solemnly take dip in river of Ganges to purify their sole and body. Hinduism is famous for its lot of formalities while offering any kind of prayers. Actually its formalities in every religious activity make the Hindu religion so fascinating and quite impressive for the rest of the world. However, for environmental point of view it is little painful as most of the items relate to eating or burning of herbs to create aroma that directly or indirectly create any type of pollution if it is done in huge quantity.

From environmental activist to government official

US EPA very smartly embraced an environmental activist from Houston and appointed him on the post of Director Environmental Justice. It is a well established department in US environmental watchdog. Its objective is to provide environmental justice to those who are suffering from various types of the environmental degradations.

Matthew Tejada

It is a smart move because before being tapped as Director US EPA, Matthew Tejada was very vocal to raise voice against environmental pollution in his area. He was leader of an activist group Air Alliance Houston. He fought against pollution in poor neighborhoods surrounding Gulf Coast ports.

Is it a welcome move?

Analysts are watching this move by US EPA with mixed feelings. One group is welcoming this with the hopes that now Tejada would be more effective to further his cause through an official platform. They believe now he can register any type of environmental violation at the relevant forum and can authoritatively take action against the offence. They think that US EPA has to fully use his abilities for the cause of environmental protection and conservation.

Political interests resist air pollution control steps in China

The government of China has to face strong resistance of its public sector enterprises if it takes air pollution control measures. According to the latest reports, owing to the abnormal rise of smog pollution due to the recent wave of fog in the country the Chinese government mulled stricter legislation to control the atmospheric pollution. However, bosses of the several public sector enterprises started putting pressure on their government not to take such steps.

Bosses of giants are main hurdle

Most of them wrongly defend their role in environmental degradation and submit reports as if they are the champions of the environment. China has no private sector and political bosses have to rely on these public sectors giants to further their economic development. Secondly government has to depend on these enterprises for all industrial and consumer needs of the country. Besides, their production is also a source of foreign exchange because their surplus goods and services are exported to other countries. Chinese products despite having some low quality are in huge demand because of their cheap prices.

Obama from change to climate change

Obama is really smart. He knows what to say where and how. He did that in 2008 and repeated his feat in 2013. Both occasions were glorious for him. Taking oath for his first tenure as US President he vowed to bring the change. Now for his second term he expanded his promise from single word of “change” to two words of “climate change”. But performance wise he himself did not change. It means he is really a man of his own words. I am afraid after the end of his second tenure we might be repeating the famous proverb with a little alteration as “he came, he ruled and went away”.

His performance in first tenure as President was fifty-fifty. This I am not saying on the basis of reports made by the smart guys of his team or by his critics. This is revealed by a public opinion poll that was conducted by the New York Times and the CBS News. Nearly 51 per cent Americans termed his performance satisfactory. It is a simple majority but cannot be called a smart majority. It means he was not smart enough performing in first four years while staying in the highest office. Why did people elect him for the second time? He was the best of the worst that is why. American people didn’t have better option than him. At least he was tested once where he did not fully disappoint the public.

Ireland horsemeat burger scam; it’s a height of food contamination

One of the leading burger makers of the Ireland has to retrieve nearly 10 million beef burgers from the market over the suspicion of horsemeat in them. Earlier independent sources in Ireland tested in laboratory some samples of these burgers. They found horsemeat in few of them. This issue brought into the public notice and all of a sudden the referred burger company decided to get back all the burgers which it supplied in previous days. Its total quantity is said to be nearly 10 million. This is an open case of food contamination that is mostly rare in developed countries.  

Facts are facts

The European media is now defending the irresponsibility of the company by saying that horsemeat does not have fewer nutrients than the beef. But the main question is not the harmfulness of the contents you offered to consumers. This is the issue of food contamination because you are mixing the meat of lower quality with a higher quality meat. The meat of the horse is quite cheaper than the beef because horses are not grown to eat their meat. Usually they are kept for riding purpose and their most of the uses are purely commercial like keeping in defense forces and in some sports.