globalbriefs


News and resources to inspire concerned citizens to work to- gether in building a healthier, stronger society that benefits all.


Arctic Rescue Finland Calls for North Pole Sanctuary


The Finnish government has adopted a new Arctic Strategy that calls for a global sanctuary around the North Pole as one of the key demands of the growing Save the Arctic movement, reversing its long-held position of backing corporate interests over the environment. The populace responded strongly to a series of actions taken by Greenpeace against government icebreaker ships aiding corporate oil exploration in order to heighten awareness of the issue. The new Finnish policy reflects a mounting world citizenry’s view that the Arctic deserves protection. Greenpeace points out that companies can wreck the


Arctic with little penalty and the current Arctic Council oil spill agreement does nothing to protect the Arctic or impose liability in this the most vulnerable place on Earth. The hope is that the other seven Arctic Council countries will see the light, as well.


Sign the petition and pitch in at SaveTheArctic.org.


Genuinely Greenwashed Six Ploys to Avoid in Eco-Purchases


A report by TerraChoice Envi- ronmental Marketing exposes these six “greenwashing” mar- keting ploys to watch out for when shopping:


1. Hidden Trade Off: A refur- bished plasma TV might reduce the need of buying new at first, but new or not, such TVs are energy hogs.


2. No Proof: Can a third party verify claims such as “organic” or “all-natural”?


3. Vagueness: Beware of products claiming to be “chemical- free” or “no hormones added”.


4. Irrelevance: Claims that have no relationship to the prod- uct or might be made with any other product in the same category, such as [chlorofluorocarbon] CFC-free shaving gel.


5. Fibbing: A falsehood that can’t be backed up, such as “certified organic” for products for which no such certification exists.


6. Lesser of Two Evils: An attempt to put a green twist on a product that’s inherently harmful to humans and the environment, such as organic cigarettes.


natural awakenings


December 2013


15


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