Industry Executive Prefers 'Home Wisdom' to Greenwashing

During the eight-year term (1829–1837) of U.S. President Andrew Jackson, he assembled a “Kitchen Cabinet”—a cadre of unofficial advisers whom he trusted more than the members of his own administration—to provide him with plainspoken, commonsense opinions.

Similarly, in the video below, Peter Bond, CEO of Brisbane, Australia-based Linc Energy, says that we all should pay attention to the views of private citizens—expressed in meetings “around the kitchen table”—rather than getting “sucked into the vortex” and becoming subject to the “polarizing effect” of debates among government officials, power and utility industry professionals, environmental activists, and the media.

Bond abhors “greenwashing,” which, according to Greenpeace—the largest independent direct-action environmental organization in the world— is “the cynical use of environmental themes to whitewash corporate misbehavior.” The term was coined around 1990 when some of America's worst polluters tried to pass themselves off as eco-friendly at a trade fair taking place in Washington, DC.

What’s more, Greenpeace agrees that the average citizen not only can think for himself—but is confused by the mixed messages in the media, from corporations, and from the government. The organization states, “The average citizen is finding it more and more difficult to tell the difference between those companies genuinely dedicated to making a difference and those that are using a green curtain to conceal dark motives. Consumers are constantly bombarded by corporate campaigns touting green goals, programs, and accomplishments. Even when corporations voluntarily strengthen their record on the environment, they often use multi-million dollar advertising campaigns to exaggerate these minor improvements as major achievements.”

Today’s greenwashing creates a divisive atmosphere, says Bond. “It’s not a case of ‘Everybody has to be with us, or you are against us,’” he says. “Right, now, it isn’t a balanced debate.”

Linc Energy specializes in coal-based synthetic fuel production. The company is engaged in the development and commercialization of proprietary underground coal gasification technology; with projects in Queensland, Alaska, Wyoming, and Uzbekistan.  

To view the video, “Peter Bond On: How Much ‘Greenwashing"’ Is in the Energy Industry,” click here.