It is not just for food products that green labels can be confusing when not outright disingenuous.
All the gadgets we carry and use, music players, smart phones, digital cameras and I could go on carry a number of labels stating their energy efficiency, manufacturing standards, toxic free status.
Can we always make sense of these numbers?
When we look at an item sustainability aspect, should we include the social responsibility factors?
Is it OK to brag about our eco-conscious character while carrying a gadget (an I Pad, a netbook) made by people who might not earn more in a month than 1 of these toys sells for.
Are we ready to pay more to support all around sustainability?
On June 22, opening day of Digital Downtown 2010, the Soul of a Green Machine panel will discuss that.
Here's the program introduction:
Green
needs to be more than just a buzzword when it comes to consumer
technology. So why are there so many confusing standards (but no real
official standard) when it comes to claiming that a gadget or product
is green? Join Journalists, manufacturers, and standards
representatives as they discuss regulating and demystifying the green
technology trend.
Moderator: Martin LaMonica, Senior Writer, CNET News [@mlamonica ]
Panelists: Jill Fehrenbacher, Publisher, Inhabitat [@jillFehr];
Seth Frader-Thompson, CEO, EnergyHub [@fraderT];
Sarah O’Brien, Green Electronics Council
It will be my second Digital Downtown and I look forward to rich exchanges.
Greenwash vs Green Credentials for Green Day # 132
Previously: June 8 is World Oceans Day, Oceans of Life, Nature at Work