green magazines

Grist recently had an article on all the magazines out there with "green"issues. And I have some issues with that. Not Grist, the magazines. Consumption is not "green", for one, it is only less or more harmful. Buying so-called green good will not save the planet any more than buying pink goods will cure breast cancer. But what really makes me run for my soapbox is that many of the articles or products they promote are not remotely environmentally friendly, natural, organic, etc.

Case in point is the April issue of Good Housekeeping (hey, I work in a hospital, so these things are just laying around). I was so irritated by their "green goods" section that I was prompted to write this:

Dear GH,
In response to your "Super. Natural." article in the April 2007 edition, just because products look like something from nature, doesn't make them in any way enironmentally friendly, organic, or natural. For example, the "place mats that resemble rain forest leaves" that you label eco-friendly, are made from vinyl. Polyvinyl chloride, in its manufacture, use, and disposal, involves dioxin, phthalates, lead, and other chemicals that are linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, endometriosis, birth defects, respiratory problems, and immune system damage. Your article misleads readers into thinking that this product is not harmful to human health or the environment.
Regards,
Concerned Citizen

Grrrr, I say.

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