Green Washing: Tesco and Local Produce

Tesco billboard advertisement for locally sourced Aberdeen Angus beef. But really how does the meat from the farm next door to you get to Tesco's on the other side of you? It's not as simple as A to B.

"With meat in the UK, there is also a supermarket issue. Each of the supermarkets runs its own abattoir, so if you sell your lamb to Tesco, you have to send your lamb to Tesco's abattoir, even if you pass several local abattoirs on the way. As a result, the meat picks up a huge amount of 'in-Britain' food miles from farm to abattoir then to packaging before it gets to its final destination."
Prof Gareth Edwards-Jones, Department of Agriculture, Bangor University
Quoted in Telegraph, 03 June 2007

Buy One Get One Tree Back Again

Building on the success of last years campaign, buy one, get one tree is back. Last year Innocent, the funky fruit smoothie drinks company managed to plant a whopping 164,020 trees to aid communities in India and Africa. This year they hope to exceed that, making last years total look like a small wood where teddy bears go for picnics. So get down to Tesco and stock up, at 2 for £4.

Green Washing: BMW Efficient Dynamics

BMW are advertising their range of EfficientDynamics cars, which through innovation reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. 21 BMW cars now meet or exceed the 140g/km standard, about forty per cent of the new vehicles from the BMW Group.

Technology which improves fuel performance includes;

• Four Cylinder Petrol Engine
  How many kilometres are there in a litre? 17.2, if you're driving a BMW 116i. That's 5.8 litres per 100 km in accordance with the EU norm. Thanks to continual engine optimisation as part of the BMW EfficientDynamics concept, BMW drivers are now leading the way when it comes to economy. In the blink of an eye, High Precision Injection ensures that no less than 200 injections are supplied - just one of the numerous BMW EfficientDynamics innovations that helps significantly reduce fuel consumption and emission levels.
  
  
• Auto Stop Start Function
  The Auto Start Stop function automatically switches off the engine when the car is at a standstill and in neutral, then restarts it as soon as the driver presses the clutch pedal again.
  
  
• Brake Energy Regeneration
  With Brake Energy Regeneration, BMW EfficientDynamics points the way to a more energy-efficient future. As soon as you brake or take your foot off the accelerator, the kinetic energy is captured and fed to the battery. This reduces the amount of power the battery takes from the engine and hence lowers fuel consumption. When the driver presses the accelerator, on the other hand, the alternator is decoupled from the drivetrain. With fewer components drawing power from the drivetrain, more of the engine's output can go into accelerating the car.

This is just three of the features that go into BMW EfficientDynamic cars, and help to make the cars more efficient, but really is this just a way to green wash over the fact that the cars are still not the most efficient in the marketplace?

You can decide by visiting BMW EfficientDynamics.

Even their website has a so called "energy-saving mode."