Lexus Reprimanded for Greenwashing

Lexus was recently forced to pull an ad claiming that its premium hybrid SUV was “perfect for today’s environment” and “perfect for today’s economic climate”.  Though the automaker claimed they were only trying to compare their hybrid comparably to non-hybrid SUVs, England’s Advertising Standards Authority disagreed, concluding that the ad misled people into thinking the SUV is more environmentally friendly than it really is.

Greenwashing is definitely running rampant right now, with manufacturers all too eager to cash in on what they see as a trend among buyers. MTV recently released a public service announcement warning us about just this – ironic, given their recent trashing of a pristine Costa Rican island for a reality show.

The fact is, even brands that you generally consider ‘safe’ will occasionally release a product that doesn’t quite meet green standards in their industry – but they won’t tell you that.  Always check out the specs – whether it’s a car, a food product, cosmetics, clothing or home furnishings.

Link [Matter Network] + [YouTube]

Paul McCartney Catches Lexus in a Big Time Eco-Fail

Sir Paul McCartney, or Macca as they call him across the pond, has once again proven that he’s no eco-fraud. Unlike some celebrities we know, he’s not green to be cool – he really does care. So when Lexus gifted him with a Hybrid Limousine to thank him for getting the word out for green automobiles, and he found out that said limousine was delivered by jet, he was understandably pissed.

Ecorazzi has it:

The gesture was nice, but Lexus chose to fly the car from Japan to Britain, creating a carbon footprint almost 100 times bigger than the standard method of shipping.

A source told Britain’s Daily Mirror newspaper: “…he was horrified after learning it was delivered by plane. Paul has always campaigned for green issues and he can’t understand why anyone would send an enormous car from Japan to Britain on a plane. “

No word yet from Lexus on this dubious choice.  They’re very generous with funding for green events and seem to have a legit interest in green options, so hopefully they’ll do something to make up for such an egregious misstep.

I’m itching to point out that any limousine, hybrid or not, isn’t a great choice when you could be riding in a far greener vehicle (though at least the Lexus hybrid limousine isn’t a stretch model). But, he’s Sir Paul, so I guess he gets away with that sort of thing – screaming mobs of fans and all. He wouldn’t want to ride in a car that a crowd of crazies could easily pick up and cart away to some secret Beatle Mania dungeon.

Link [Ecorazzi]
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons