Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell has been ordered to withdrawal 'misleading' advertising in Holland after the environmental group Friends of the Earth claimed the ads were a case of "greenwashing."
The ads showing flowers emitting from smoke stacks made the claim that Shell's greenhouse gas emissions were being recycled and used to grow flowers in actual greenhouses. The Dutch Advertising Code Authority stated, "Shell suggests that all of these gases are recycled and that is not the case, so our committee found a misleading environmental claim."
"Instead of 'greenwashing' its environmental behavior, Shell should tackle its real problems," said Anne van Schaik, a campaign leader for Friends of the Earth Netherlands. "For instance, in Nigeria, gas flaring by Shell causes 60 times more greenhouse gas emissions than the carbon dioxide that is reused by Dutch farmers to grow flowers."
Nice job, and well said.
Democracy is utterly dependent upon an electorate that is accurately informed. In promoting climate change denial (and often denying their responsibility for doing so) industry has done more than endanger the environment. It has undermined democracy.
There is a vast difference between putting forth a point of view, honestly held, and intentionally sowing the seeds of confusion. Free speech does not include the right to deceive. Deception is not a point of view. And the right to disagree does not include a right to intentionally subvert the public awareness.
This post is the second of a two part series. Read the first installment, Unreported Emissions From Natural Gas Blow Up BC's Climate Action Plan.
Methane leaks from British Columbia's natural gas industry are likely at least 7 times greater than official numbers increasing the entire provinces' carbon footprint by nearly 25%. That's like putting 3 million more vehicles on BC's roads.
As...
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