Greenwash

Book excerpt: "''Guy Pearse's welcome book reveals the difficulty of judging the benefits and real environmental costs of the way we live.''" - David Suzuki In recent years, McDonalds have painted their famous golden arches green, while Richard Branson has funnelled money into renewable energy. But are these newly ''climate - friendly'' companies and brands really as green as they claim to be? In "Greenwash," Guy Pearse peeks behind the fac?ade of global corporations and public figures - and what he finds will shock you. Like "Fast Food Nation" and "No Logo" before it, "Greenwash" exposes corporate deceit, allowing customers to see past the seductive advertising and confront the uncomfortable truth: that the corporate ''green revolution'' is an illusion. The world's biggest polluters use a few heavily promoted green products to hide their growing carbon footprint. In Pearse's fascinating investigation, nothing is sacred and no one is safe: not the Toyota Prius, not the World Wildlife Fund, not Oprah, not even Earth Hour. "Greenwash" is an entertaining and practical book that will help consumers pick the truly green businesses from the greenwash and demand a higher environmental standard from the corporate world.