This cartoon idea sprang fully formed from a New York Times piece on the ridiculous lengths that some brands are going to be considered for the Home Depot Eco Options promotion (including, yes, a brand of electric chainsaw). It's a good example of some of the outlandish greenwashing we're all starting to see. And, how the issue is not as white and black as the old treehugger/lumberjack dynamic.
Of course, any lumberjack research wouldn't be complete without re-watching the classic Monty Python sketch (particularly now that I'm living in the UK). It mystifies me that my wife doesn't find Monty Python funny at all.
Welcome to London. I love the cartoons, a very succinct & entertaining way to making your points.
Posted by: Jurgen Wolff | July 01, 2007 at 08:32 PM
Tallie doesn't like Monty Python?
Posted by: lizzy | July 09, 2007 at 02:17 PM
This cartoon is very funny and also very sad.
...to think that destroying more habitat (or biodiversity) and the very life forms that filters the carbon out of the air is "okay" simply because the technology with which we do it is... just different. It still took an oil economy and oil energy to build the chainsaw, and it is still damaging the environment by cutting down the trees and destroying more habitat for civilizations expansion.
I think it is still just as cut and dry, it's just harder to see that with all the mythology out there.
Posted by: Urban Scout | July 10, 2007 at 09:20 AM
Too true - it si a challenge to sort the wheat form the cahff of businesses jumping on the green bandwagon. Every little bit helps, and it shows that the public is very aware and are demanding their businesses be more enviromentally responsible.
Posted by: Eco-designer | July 10, 2007 at 01:58 PM
Brilliant! I really like your blog and the ideas you discuss. The Greenwashing theme is a very interesting one which I have discussed on my blog,
http://mcarthursrant.blogspot.com/2007/04/greenwashed-or-green-elite.html
Posted by: Scott McArthur | July 15, 2007 at 03:13 PM
Loved this cartoon. Love ALL your cartoons! I made you the Overheard in the Blogosphere quote for Sept 21. Thanks for agreeing to let me reprint the entire cartoon!
http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/overheard/overheard-greenwashing/
Posted by: Margaret Rouse | September 27, 2007 at 05:36 AM
Hi,
Would it be possible to publish this particular drawing on the Facebook of the Independant Advertising Observatory ?
We deal with greenwashing and try to educate about this phenomenon in France ?
We would clearly put your name, your website and everything you'd like.
Sebastien Vray
WWF-France
http://www.observatoiredelapublicite.fr
Posted by: Sebastien | August 20, 2009 at 09:08 AM
Bon jour Sebastien,
Yes, please feel free to publish this cartoon on your Facebook page. I'm glad that it struck a chord!
-Tom
Posted by: Tom Fishburne | August 20, 2009 at 12:17 PM