Year: 2009
Type: article
Abstract: The same people most negatively affected by environmental injustices are also most vulnerable to deceptive environmental advertising, or greenwashing.Accordingly, the false marketing of corporate environmental responsibility is closely tied to the perpetuation of environmental inequity.Societal concern about environmental issues is increasing, leading to heightened interest in the implementation of clean coal technologies for power generation, a notoriously dirty industry.This research questions whether the marketing of clean coal technologies as an environmental solution to the problems associated with the use of coal is a form of greenwashing because it fails to account for and will not change the environmental and social destruction that result from the extraction process.Appalachian coal and electric company marketing campaigns and corporate reports describing the benefits of clean coal technology were collected and analyzed.This material was contrasted with the companies' environmental records, public statements, and responses from residents, environmental organizations, and social activists.Based on the analysis, results indicate clean coal technologies will not solve all of the problems caused by coal extraction and energy production, making their promotion as clean deceptive.
Author: Laurie E. Winston
Institution: Ohio University
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2503814434