Monday 15 June 2009

All You Need is Greenwash

Sir Paul, a life-long vegetarian, said: "Many of us feel helpless in the face of environmental challenges, and it can be hard to know how to sort through the advice about what we can do to make a meaningful contribution to a cleaner, more sustainable, healthier world. Having one designated meat-free day a week is a meaningful change that everyone can make, that goes to the heart of several important political, environmental and ethical issues all at once."

There's nothing wrong as such with this campaign. It's just a bit rich coming from a man with six homes, who has a sponsorship deal with Lexus, and who seems to spend every year making numerous long haul flights.

McCartney has had an unusually close relationship with Lexus in recent years. In addition to the sponsorship deal, the ex-Beatle -- who shies away from product endorsements -- has publicly praised Lexus for producing environmentally sensitive cars.

And as Johann Hari argues, to my mind rightly,

The End of the Line has one flaw – and it is one that riddles current environmental thought. It presents us with a great earth-altering crisis, and then says our primary response should be to change our own personal consumption habits.

Enjoy this entertaining inventory of celebrity Greenwash. Although in fairness to Posh Spice, I must point out to our American cousins that in England mincemeat is not minced meat. Confusing, I know. But then in England you can walk into a supermarket and ask where the faggots are, and a helpful assistant will lead you to the appropriate freezer cabinet. And Walthamstow, probably unlike anywhere in the US of A, has a street named Hookers Road. And... But that's enough cultural differences for today.