Blog Update!
For those of you not following me on Facebook, as of the Summer of 2019 I've moved to Central WA, to a tiny mountain town of less than 1,000 people.

I will be covering my exploits here in the Cascades, as I try to further reduce my impact on the environment. With the same attitude, just at a higher altitude!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Black is the new green

It just comes natural...I ran across this ad today (in PC Magazine of all places):

"Natural Tastes Better... We grow our premium natural [product] in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs. We also strive to reduce our footprint on the earth by using recycled materials and renewable energy sources like wind power. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you."

I get such warm fuzzies when manufacturers really take an interest in things I value.

"Try the true, authentic taste of 100% additive-free, natural [product] for yourself. We think you will agree, natural tastes better."

The ad is coupled with graphics showing a big happy sunflower, solar panels and a wind turbine.

Now, what product do you think they are selling? Pasture-raised, rotational grazed beef? Organic, free-range eggs?

Nope. It's tobacco. Anyone else see the irony in this?

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

you have got to be kidding-tobacco?

Theresa said...

Ack! Talk about 'greenwashing'!

Anonymous said...

Now that is some responsible advertising! I'm surprised they didn't add some happy children running through the fields!

Christy said...

Actually if it is really pure tobacco, most of the carginogens are in the additives. Pure tobacco isn't that bad for you in comparison to cigarettes.

Chile said...

Ack!

Anonymous said...

Organic and other "natural" and "additive free" cigarettes are absolutely, positively not safer.

From the American Lung Association of California:

Do not be fooled by "natural tobacco" products that are marketed to teens and college students. They're not healthier. In fact, natural tobacco can be deadlier than average cigarettes.

Unfortunately, for today's youth and young adults, forms of natural tobacco, including bidis, clove cigarettes, cigars, chew/dip tobacco, pipe tobacco and organic cigarettes, are viewed as trendy and perhaps even healthier, despite the real health risks.

"Natural tobacco doesn't have anything to do with being healthier," says Ross Payson, project director for tobacco programs at the Dental Health Foundation. "Natural means it has a small percentage of non-synthetic substances. It's a marketing scam."

Natural tobacco often contains higher concentrations of tar and nicotine, and the smoke has greater levels of toxic agents such as carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, ammonia and carcinogenic hydrocarbons.

village mama said...

Great blog!!

I can't keep up with all the lies out there, thanks for this info.

Have you heard about the fake olive oil? Here's a link:

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/08/13/070813fa_fact_mueller

ruchi said...

Wow, thanks for that info anonymous. Very helpful. I would still think though that the advantage of organic tobacco would be to the land? No runoff from pesticides?

Greenpa said...

wow, that's hilarious! I wish I'd been a fly on the wall at the sessions where they wrote that ad- the HAD to cracking up constantly!

So, Crunch and DC, our photoshop guerrillas- how about a nice take off on the add- for heroin?

All natural poppy field in Afghanistan- harvested only by non-terrorist virgins- you can see the potential for a little good satire- :-)

Anonymous said...

There may be some truth to it. Many of my neighbors grow tobacco. Since they are all Amish, I can assure you it is grown sustainably with minimal use of fossil fuels. Of course natural doesn't always mean healthy for our bodies if the plant itself is inherently poisonous.

Anonymous said...

arduous, tobacco is so toxic, I'm pretty sure they don't generally use pesticides on it. We use tobacco tea made from cigarette butts to ward off pests.

back when we were brainstorming ways to afford land, a bunch of my friends (who had all smoked American Spirits when they smoked) thought up a sure-win product - organic handrolleds, "rolled on thighs of vegan farmers", marketed through head shops but "definitely not blunt". The ads were going to be modeled on 70s porn, much like the sweatshop-free (union-free) t-shirt company uses.

I think a friend even made some sample packaging for me once.

DC said...

Okay, Greenpa. I'm a little pressed for time today, but I could never turn down an earnest plea for environmental satire. The next organic product to hit the market has arrived. Make sure you scroll down to the bottom of the photo to see consumer warning.

Crunchy Chicken said...

DC - that is awesome. You have outdid yourself on that one.

Anonymous said...

Wow that's some scary stuff. Got turned to your site from Raw Vegan Mama and I love it!

I had to laugh at the subject line. Canadian Tire, here in the great white north, sometime ago gave away reusable black bags free with purchase. On the side it says "THIS BAG IS GREEN." My five year old is learning to read and we have weekly conversations about the bag.

She reads it outloud and then says: "THIS BAG IS NOT GREEN. IT's black."

So I try to explian what "green" means, which goes over her head and she says even louder, "It's black. NOT GREEN." Until I give in and say "Yes you are right. THe bag is black. Let's go shopping now."

BoysMom said...

Got a question for y'all, along the lines of avoiding chemicals, if you don't mind: what do you use for drinking cups for small children? Those at the 'I've lost my temper and will now pitch my cup across the room' stage of life? And those at the 'Oops, that makes the fifth cup of water I've dropped on the floor in the first hour since waking up this morning' stage of life? I'd like to find something other than plastic, but I can't have broken glass all around, and ceramic, while it doesn't make such sharp edges when it shatters, is kinda pricy, especially since I figure we'd go through ten cups or so a day.

Crunchy Chicken said...

boysmom - check out this post. We just bought some of the stainless steel funtainers and they are great.

Anonymous said...

THANK YOU for that link.

We got some Kleen Kanteens and my kid hates them - they are always too hot or too cold and they are too slippery to drink out of wearing mittens (in the stroller in the winter, here).

Greenpa said...

Oh, c'mon, DC- it's unconvincing. Everybody knows you CAN'T have organic arsenic, because the trees have to be fertilized with anhydrous ammonia. Geez, get real.

And Crunch; I'm quite sure the actual conditional injunctive pluperfect there is "outdiddled".

sheesh, get with it, guys.

Crunchy Chicken said...

Greenpa, I think you just "outpiddled" yourself.

Greenpa said...

Crispy- I suppose that's possib.. uh, pi... uh, oh, never mind.

DC said...

Crunchy -- Glad you enjoyed the spoof.

Greenpa -- Thanks for those, uh, clarifications. By the way, folks, don't believe the people who say that it's okay to smoke anything that's organic. Especially don't believe a ranting old man who asks you to come inside his outhouse and try a free sample of "THWASPCO tobacco." Just say no, kids. Just say no.

Btw, my Google docs have apparently imploded, and I don't know if/when the photo I posted earlier today (or any of the others I have posted) will be visible again.

Anonymous said...

i don't think pure tobacco is supposed to be all that bad for you though. aboriginals have used it for a long time for various purposes... it's the chemical additives which are so dangerous and toxic.

brad said...

Things that make you go "ewwww".

Anonymous said...

"i don't think pure tobacco is supposed to be all that bad for you though. aboriginals have used it for a long time for various purposes... it's the chemical additives which are so dangerous and toxic."

This is a commonly held misconception. It is completely untrue that cigarettes without additives are safe. American Spirit, which makes organic cigarettes, clearly states on its own web site: "No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette." Also see the comments and links earlier in this thread where the American Lung Association and others have stated that organic and natural cigarettes without additives are NOT any safer.

Aboriginals and Native Americans traditionally used tobacco ceremonially only -- they did not smoke it on a regular basis. The chemicals in pure tobacco smoke are just as toxic and dangerous as regular cigarette smoke.

BoysMom said...

Awesome, Crunchy, thanks so much.
Why was I so sure if anyone knew it would be you or one of your readers?
Unfortunately, my nuby sippys aren't on the list of safe ones, only the weird shaped and hard to clean nubys. Oh well. Time to go shopping. Sigh. It'll be cheaper in the long run.