I don’t subscribe to Bicycling magazine, so I don’t get to read the editors introductions all too often. It just so happens my grandmother-in-law likes to send me things about bicycles. In the mail today, I got the September issue of Bicycling magazine courtesy of her. Who knows how she got it, but that’s not the point. Loren Mooney, the editor-in-chief of this publication, wrote a letter to the readers entitled “It’s Easy Being Green”. She starts the piece by announcing this issue of Bicycling is the Green issue, even though there is nothing to indicate this on the cover and none of the content is different than usual. She then goes on to say that Bicycling magazine is “Green” every month. Why? well because cycling is green! Thus, her logic is that her magazine is “green” as well. This, ladies and gentlemen is GREENWASHING!!!!
I couldn’t find an online version of this prime example of greenwashing, so I scanned the magazine page.
It's Easy Being Green by Loren Mooney
She goes on to say that cyclists are more environmentally friendly people. She backs this up with personal anecdotes. So, because Loren grows her own lettuce and buys organic milk, ALL cyclists are more environmentally friendly than the rest of the population. right! Also according to Loren a characteristic of being environmentally friendly is noticing those ugly bottles, cans, and trash on the side of the road as well as breathing, and appreciating fresh air. Gee wiz! according to Loren, all you have to do to be green is ride your bike, enjoy fresh air, and dislike garbage on the side of the road! This may even give you more ideas, like buying local and organic food products. So, after you go on your evening training ride dressed in spandex riding your titanium steed that was just upgraded to Dura-Ace last season, you can sit down to an organic dinner and a copy of Bicycling magazine and know that you’re helping the earth. And just in case your feeling a little guilty about buying a magazine printed on paper every month, Loren assures us that bicycling recently switched to paper stock that use’s “slightly less fiber” and ink that is “vegetable based“. Oh boy, so instead of switching to FSC certified and recycled sources, you decided to uses “slightly less fiber“. Apparently the reduction in the fiber is so small, she had to use the word slightly. I’m not impressed Bicycling magazine, and I hope your readers are smart enough to recognize this poor attempt at greenwashing.
What is greenwashing? Simply put greenwashing is a company’s attempt to jump on the eco-friendly/green/sustainable band wagon without actually doing anything except change their marketing. You can read more on wiki. They want people to think “wow, that Bicycling magazine sure is doing their part to save our fragile planet” when actually, they are doing absolutely nothing. In fact, I could argue that they are doing more to hurt the earth then if Loren never wrote that pathetic piece of marketing crap. How? by the very act of greenwashing! There are legitimate companies out there trying to do their part to be more sustainable and eco-friendly, but when a company partakes in greenwashing, the consumer has a tougher time determining what is a legit green product, and what is not. This pulls attention away from the companies that are actually trying to help our Earth. Companies who greenwash essentially muck things up and it pisses me off!
Bicycling magazine really could do a green issue. They could interview community bicycle shops that work tirelessly to get used bicycles back on the road. They could promote steel bicycles over carbon fiber. They could eliminate their advertisements and articles promoting titanium. They could eliminate car advertisements in the magazine. They could feature articles on Bamboo bicycles and the people who build them. They could print their magazine on 100% post-consumer recycled paper. They could showcase the clothing companies using wool instead of synthetics. They could focus on bicycle commuting over bicycle racing. These things are just a minimal start. I can think of hundreds of things they could do for a green issue!
I’m angry! I’m angry because Loren and Bicycling wrote this piece as a strategic marking move and nothing more. It distorts the view on companies that really do care about the earth and strive to make sure it’s habitable for generations to come. This is just another example of the bicycle industry being way behind. Just because you ride a bike does not make you “green”. It takes a lot of hard work to live your life in a sustainable way. It is not “easy“. Riding a bike instead of a car for transportation is one way of being more sustainable, but if you drive your car to work everyday and only ride your bike in the evenings and weekends, you’ve done more harm to the earth than if you never bought a bike in the first place. Why? Because in order for you to be a “green” bicycle owner, you have to use it instead of your car, otherwise, your doing more harm than good by purchasing a non-sustainable bike product. Bicycling magazine owes it’s entire community an apology for trying to mislead them.
Just read your post on Bicyling Magazine and I’m also thinking about your recent Tweet on the folks at Competitive Cyclist. I appreciate you bringing to light many important points about cycling and true sustainability. What concerns me is your tone and anger. Seems to me that too many of the conversations about being green quickly boil down to absolutes, black and white, you’re with us or you suck, etc. In my opinion, if you really want to engage in a sustainable conversation, i.e. one that makes a difference and is more than just a rant, I suggest you stick more to the constructive suggestions you included above and leave the aggression to motivating you to log more miles on the bike. Cheers.
I actually agree, and thought twice about the post. The reason I ended up posting it is that I believe people who care about this stuff need to know whats happening. If some of my emotions make it through, so be it. I think what Bicycling magazine did is terrible.
Today’s lycra clad titanium bike warrior is more likely to become tomorrow’s everyday bike commuter than today’s beer softball league warrior.
As much as I like to dis on triathletes, I bought a bike because I was swimming a lot but didn’t feel like racing masters, so I entered a couple of triathlons. Now, I could give a shit about those races, own 4 bikes and sold my car.
The Tour De France is an ecological disaster but it’s earned a shitload of carbon offsets from people who went from zero to bike commuter based on the exposure Sir Lance brought to “A bike”.
Bicycling Magazine among other things counts bikesnobnyc as a writer – he’s as retrogrouch cycling commuter as they get.
Thanks for the post. I like your passion. Sometimes it takes that to get people to sit up and notice.
Green is fashionable now so corporate America is pouncing. How can green make us money? It takes a keen eye to try to patronize only companies that are truly in business to do good as well as make a profit. I used to work for a big corporation in marketing…so I guess I’m more jaded than most.
It took getting laid off from the corporate gig and going broke to change my ways, but now I’m out of the rat race and spandex. Now I’m a wool-wearing, bamboo bike riding, inner tube bag makin’ gal who shops at thrift stores.
It’s actually a lot more fun these days…who’da thunk it?
[...] And have we all read the v. good rant on greenwashing in Sustainable Cyclist? [...]
Tim, I agree with you! The green-washing and green marketing is disgusting. I also understand Fernando’s point, in that being green and sustainable is not “black and white.” Certainly Bicycling Magazine is not practicing what they preach. But as far as environment sustainability in our daily lives, not everyone can make a complete shift in every aspect of their lives – change is a slow process and there are a lot of factors. I also think you should be careful to say that evening/weekend road riders are doing MORE harm to the environment than if they didn’t have a bike. I believe that cycling for recreation can eventually lead to commuting by bike… at least it is a start to being active and being outside, not in a car. And I would bet that a lot of recreational cyclists advocate for the environment, in terms of keeping our parks, green spaces, etc. even if they drive their cars to work. It’s just not such an easy line draw.
Bike magazine article on environmental impact of the bike biz:
http://chrislesser.com/clips/shades_of_green.pdf
[...] 25, 2010 by tradtimbo A reader posted a comment on my rant about Bicycle Magazine’s transparent attempt at greenwashing that included a link to an [...]
Thanks for the article Josephat! I gave it its own post. It definitely deserves it.