del.icio.us tags: environment

I don't imagine it would shock any of you to hear that the "buzz" about sustainability grew about 50 percent last year — moving from a discussion of global warming to a conversation about actions individuals can take to alleviate their negative impact.

Nielsen Online's research also indicates that the increased attention to "green" issues has led to greater cynicism about the credibility of many companies' efforts to portray themselves as acting in a responsible way toward the planet. 25 percent of consumers point out a company's "contradictory actions," 21 percent think that the actions being taken are "incongruous with the company or industry" (oil companies, perhaps?), 19 percent think companies are making "false/misleading comments," 18 percent think the government should be able to regulate claims that companies make about their "green" behavior and 17 percent of consumers are just plain suspicious.