Friday, June 20, 2008

Genuine or Greenwashing: Nats Organic Cotton Cap Day

The Chesapeake Climate Action Network just launched a new campaign highlighting ExxonMobil's extensive sponsorship of the Washington Nationals and their new ballpark.

The Green Miles wasn't sure how to react at first. After all, the Nationals have one of the greenest ballparks in the majors. Should being a green business mean you can't make as much money as you can off ads?

Fortunately, the Nationals and ExxonMobil decided to make my decision for me. They're partnering on one of the most blatant examples of greenwashing I've ever seen:
Nats Conversion Day
June 29 vs. Baltimore - 1:35 PM
Bring in any MLB team merchandise and trade it in for a Nationals hat made from organically-grown cotton. One hat per person, while supplies last.
Presented by ExxonMobil
It's recycling old merchandise! And the hats are made with organic cotton! What could be more green than that? Pay no attention to the fact that it's sponsored by one of the least moral corporations in the history of the planet!

And when I say least moral, I'm not just talking about ExxonMobil's ongoing leadership role in denying global warming and blocking climate action. Just check out ExxonMobil's Wikipedia entry. Environmental abuses galore, sure. But also shady foreign business practices. Supporting human rights abuses. A zero score on gay issues from the Human Rights Campaign.

Learn more at StrikeOutExxon.org.

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