Condé Nasty

Portfolio magazine lists eco-saint and eco-sinner companies

Posted at 3:55 PM on 26 Feb 2008

The magazine Condé Nast Portfolio has produced a "Toxic Ten" list of companies that claim to be green, but really ain't. Among those called out: Cargill, in part for egregious water pollution; Ford Motor Co., in part for the unimpressive overall gas mileage of its fleet; Boeing, in part for a lack of transparency about its greenhouse-gas emissions; Apple, in part for toxic chemicals found in its hip products; Massey Energy, in part for its horrific reliance on mountaintop-removal mining; and Chevron, in part for the waste it has contributed to more than 90 Superfund sites. The magazine also made a "Green 11" list of "eco-savvy corporations" -- Bank of America, Ceres, Dupont, General Electric, Innovest, Organic Valley, Starbucks, Tesla Motors, Whole Foods, Wal-Mart, and the city of Austin, Texas -- which some enviros would no doubt quibble with.

sources: Portfolio, Portfolio

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Comments: (6 comments)

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Austin versus GE and Dupont??

So, "some environs" would no doubt quibble that Austin is a progressively "green" city but not with the fact that GE and Dupont were included?

Austin Energy is one of the most innovative energy co-ops with numerous rebates and programs to help people make their homes more energy efficient.

Austin's congressman is working to make Austin have a much more robust trail system, linking the city's key business districts and housing areas.

Yes, the town has a horrendous traffic problem due to zero funding from the right-wing government in Texas that has starved the government over the last 20 years (remember, Bush was governor there first). And our sprawl issues could be better but we keep getting so much damn good press that everyone wants to move here!

Give Austin a break. It's a much greener and progressive city than "some environs" may think. I could point out many problems with Portland and Denver and all the other places but why slam those trying to do good. Oh yeah, maybe Austin didn't have the "eco-magination" to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on an ad campaign with dancing elephants so they're cool.

Come on Grist, give Austin a break.

by marvelle at 8:18 PM on 26 Feb 2008

Hey, baby... Wanna play with my dangling modifier?

I think they meant some enviros might quibble with the list, not Austin. You know... Wal-mart--which I think needs to be hardcore commended for all the changes it's making, but you can't argue that there isn't still a lot of room for criticism... And GE, which was getting dissed in Gristmill today (and probably justifiably so)... And Starbucks, which gets more mixed reviews than the average American Idol winner; personally, I dig most of what I know about their business practices, but I have to loath that they're largely responsible for the disappearance of the real cafe... And so on.

Anyway, kudos to Austin for all it's doing; keep it up, and see if you can spread the inspiration to other nearby towns!

by Pathos at 11:48 PM on 26 Feb 2008

Oh, kiddo!, so long as it's "robust"!

Thanks so much, dear Pathos, for setting straight that simple punctuation error.

La Marquise de Marvelle failed to mention the stunning Jardin des Plantes naturelles founded by the late Lady Bird Johnson.

One looks at the map of Texas, and one sees a desert -- uninterrupted bleakness, save for that blue-green oasis, which is Austin.

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 2:32 AM on 27 Feb 2008

Austin - the good and the not-so-good

Yeah, it's all true what you said, marvelle - and our congressman, lloyd doggett is for sure a saint - and we are blessed and lucky to live here compared to a lot of places i've been - BUT - i live in an urban apartment in a pretty nice neighbor but close to downtown and the air quality is AWFUL most of the time. i do live just around the corner from a busy street but i don't live next to any superfund sites or refineries, just busy-city air. everybody i know carries an inhalor, has asthma, coughs, etc.

Having lived for years in the country (way out in the country) i know the difference. if austin is the greenest city around, we'd better roll up our sleeves and get work and clean up this mess while we still can.

http://goodwordswan.wildflowerstew.com

by swan at 11:49 AM on 27 Feb 2008

Hook 'em Horns!

Way to go Austin! Not only do you have the best college football team in the nation, you're doing great goin' green! Now we need another national championship and maybe the trophy will be made of green crystal in honor of you accomplishment.

"For as long as space endures, and for as long as living beings remain, until then may I too abide, to dispel the misery of the world." - Shantideva

by mtvyfan at 8:21 AM on 28 Feb 2008

Dupont???? I don't think so.

I was just informed by Senator Ellen Corbett (CA, District 10), that she is co-authoring a Bill to ban two very nasty and harmful chemicals (PFOA's and PFOS's, which are the most harmful types of PFC's - google for loooonger names) that are used in packaging of greasy foods. Dupont is the last company that is fighting to retain its right to use this material in CA.

Burger King and Wendy's have already eliminated the PFC's in their packaging. These chemicals have major health ramifications and do not break down in nature. Ever.

This issue has just recently received media attention, so not many people are aware of it.

I'm not sure they belong on this list.

B. Heaps bheaps@mills.edu Master's of Public Policy Candidate, Spring 2008 Mills College

by bronny at 7:03 PM on 05 Mar 2008

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