這幾年，很多人的環保意識都有所提高，不少產業也都采取不同程度的環保措施，開始邁向“綠色”時代。不過，不見得所有打著“綠色”旗號的行為都是真正以環保為出發點的。他們可能只是以“綠色”之名行“牟利”之實。這就是近兩年大家聽到的“漂綠”。

Greenwashing (a compound word modelled on "whitewash"), or "green sheen," is a form of spin in which green PR or green marketing is deceptively used to promote the perception that an organization's aims and policies are environmentally friendly. Whether it is to increase profits or gain political support, greenwashing may be used to manipulate popular opinion to support otherwise questionable aims.

“漂綠”（greenwashing或green sheen）是由“漂白”（whitewash）一詞演化而來，指綠色公關或市場營銷團隊用作欺騙性宣傳報道的一種形式，以此向大眾宣稱某個組織的目標和政策都是環境友好型的。不管其目的是增加利潤或者獲得政治支持，“漂綠”行為都有可能被用來操控大眾意見以支持一些原本備受質疑的行為目的。

The term greenwashing was coined by New York environmentalist Jay Westervelt in a 1986 essay regarding the hotel industry's practice of placing placards in each room promoting reuse of towels ostensibly to "save the environment." Westerveld noted that, in most cases, little or no effort toward reducing energy waste was being made by these institutions—as evidenced by the lack of cost reduction this practice effected. Westerveld opined that the actual objective of this "green campaign" on the part of many hoteliers was, in fact, increased profit. Westerveld thus labeled this and other outwardly environmentally conscientious acts with a greater, underlying purpose of profit increase as greenwashing.

Greenwashing一詞最早由紐約環保主義者杰?韋斯特維爾特在一篇1986年的文章中首創，這篇文章主要講的是當時賓館行業在每個房間都擺放標識牌，簡單從表面上鼓勵毛巾重復使用以“保護環境”。韋斯特維爾特指出，在大多數情況下，這些機構并未采取任何節能措施，有證據表明，上述的標識牌行為也未帶來任何支出下降的情況。韋斯特維爾特認為，很多賓館采取這一“綠色行動”的實際目的都是為了增加利潤。由此，他就把這一類表面上大張旗鼓倡導環保而實際上帶有更隱晦牟利目的的行為稱為greenwashing（漂綠行為）。

(Source: Wikipedia)

相關閱讀

綠領工人 green-collar worker

比recycle更環保的upcycle

環保先鋒“土食者” locavore

（中國日報網英語點津 Helen）

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