Is Greenpeace turning over a new, softer leaf? The organization known for taking a hard-line stance against companies that are known to have unsustainable or polluting practices now seems to be more open to encouraging small steps toward improvement. First there was their dramatic turnaround on paper company Kimberly-Clark, and now they’re praising… McDonalds.
From Triple Pundit:
While McDonalds is one of the “last corporations [Greenpeace] want[s] to say anything good about,” (Greenpeace’s website says), Greenpeace has decided to give credit where credit is due (in this instance anyway). The interchange raises some interesting issues, since Greenpeace isn’t exactly known for being diplomatic (think “graffiti on Hewlett Packard buildings”) and Micky D’s has traditionally been far from sustainability-minded. Is this a Big Mac-sized mood swing, a fluke, or a genuine change – on both organizations’ parts?
The Greenpeace article emphasizes McDonald’s opening of a restaurant (in Denmark) equipped with environmentally-friendly refrigeration. Since traditional refrigeration systems contribute significantly to ozone depletion and climate change, McD’s eco-fridge maneuver is an important step in its purported efforts to green itself. It is also important since McDonalds’ oomph in the food service and refrigeration industries could cause a green-fridge domino effect.
But is eco refrigeration really cause enough for Greenpeace to drop its usually-militant stance against the global hamburger joint?
Triple Pundit reports that Greenpeace claims some credit for McDonalds’ decision to try green refrigeration, as it has been trying to convince them to take the step for at least nine years. So, it makes sense that the environmental organization would make a positive statement about it. In fact, Greenpeace has begrudgingly praised McDonalds several times in the past for changing certain practices, like feeding its hens genetically engineered soy.
A commenter further notes that “Greenpeace has a long history of working with companies willing to make real change on the ground. And yes, they will even praise those companies’ who have been slow to wake to sustainability issues: when they do good.”
However, there’s a fine line between recognizing small but concrete action, and allowing companies to claim they’re ‘going green’ because they changed some small thing while their operation as a whole is still as far from green as a company can get.
And while some may applaud Greenpeace for being a little less harsh, don’t we need some organizations to demand the best from people so we don’t all get caught up in a cyclone of half-assed action, greenwashing and undeserved praise? Let’s hope that Greenpeace doesn’t make this kind of thing a habit.
Link [Triple Pundit]
Photo credit: Greenpeace
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The article Greenpeace Praises McDonalds’ Eco-Fridge is syndicated for use on EcoFunctional. The original content in it’s entirety can be found here.
