A photograph and caption that appeared with a September 18 Washington Post film review of the documentary "Earth Days" is misleading. The photograph is a vintage shot of a woman spraying an unidentified aerosol product indoors that was included in a press kit promoting the film. The caption reads: "Earth Days, uses archival video to show environmental abuse such as the use of aerosols and features talks with activists."
The photo caption relates aerosols to environmental abuse although the film says nothing about aerosol products. The only reference to them in the documentary is a brief video segment similar to the photograph shown while a narrator reads an unrelated quote from Rachel Carson. The film is basically a history of environmental concerns depicted through a series of talking heads, mostly activists but some politicians and scientists, and lots of old film footage.
The photo caption fosters the common misperception that aerosol products are somehow environmentally unfriendly. That simply is not true. Yes, more than 30 years ago, many products, including aerosols, contained chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). However, product manufacturers voluntarily removed CFCs from aerosols after scientists discovered a possible link between the products and harm to the ozone. Most aerosol products were CFC-free before the EPA banned the chemical in 1978, yet some 70 percent of the public still mistakenly believe aerosol products contain CFCs.
It's ironic that the Post would publish such a negative photograph in the same week that the leading money making film, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs , is released and concludes with an aerosol product saving the world. You can learn more about today's environmentally friendly aerosol products by visiting www.NoCFCs.org, www.AboutAerosols.com. or www.EcoAerosols.com.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Is "No CFC" Label Misleading?
A recent blog posting (link to http://www.shopsmartmag.org/2009/08/how-to-spot-fake-green-claims.html?EXTKEY=I91CONL&CMP=OTC-ConsumeristLinks) caught our attention. This blogger said she used hairspray with a "No CFCs" logo and later found out that all aerosol products are CFC-free. Why, then, label a product as CFC-free? Isn’t that a misleading “green” claim?
Aerosol manufacturers voluntarily took CFCs out of aerosols soon after scientists discovered the relationship between CFC and the upper ozone, which was prior to EPA banning CFCs in 1978. The “No CFC” logo was created shortly afterward for product manufacturers to help inform consumers that that the chemical had been removed from products.
A recent survey showed that 70% of the public still think that aerosols contain CFCs. While the other 30-percent may perceive use of the “No CFC” logo a misleading green claim, we think it is important to continue educating the other 70 percent.
We welcome your thoughts by posting a comment.
Aerosol manufacturers voluntarily took CFCs out of aerosols soon after scientists discovered the relationship between CFC and the upper ozone, which was prior to EPA banning CFCs in 1978. The “No CFC” logo was created shortly afterward for product manufacturers to help inform consumers that that the chemical had been removed from products.
A recent survey showed that 70% of the public still think that aerosols contain CFCs. While the other 30-percent may perceive use of the “No CFC” logo a misleading green claim, we think it is important to continue educating the other 70 percent.
We welcome your thoughts by posting a comment.
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CAPCO’s Aerosol Products Information blog is a forum for information on topics related to aerosol products. It is a consumer-oriented forum and is not to be used for commercial purposes.
Legal Statements
1. Defamation Laws. Defamation laws, such as laws prohibiting libel and slander, generally prohibit untruthful statements. Truthful statements and statements of opinion are generally allowed.
2. Copyright Laws. Copyright laws protect the copying, modification and display of certain tangible expressions. By submitting a comment to a posting on the blog, you grant to CAPCO and its successors and assign a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable license to use, reproduce, distribute, create derivative works of, display, and broadcast that Content. You agree that CAPCO shall be free to use any ideas, concepts or techniques contained in your Content for any and all commercial or non-commercial purposes. By posting Content, you represent and warrant that you own the copyright with respect to such material, have received permission from the copyright owner, or the material is in the public domain.
3. No Political Activity. This forum may not be used to discuss or advocate for the election or defeat of any candidate for political office, whether at the federal, state or local level. Therefore, you may not use the blog to engage in such activity.
4. Monitoring of Blog. CAPCO assumes no responsibility for misleading, fraudulent, defamatory, libelous, threatening, harassing, pornographic, obscene or illegal Content within comments supplied to this site; provided, however, that CAPCO may take any action with respect to any Content that CAPCO deems in its sole discretion is necessary or appropriate, including the deletion of any such Content.
5. Disclaimer. The opinions, advice, statements and judgments or other information or content expressed or made available made by blog users and the matters discussed within comments in the blog (“Content”) are those of the respective author(s) or distributor(s) and not of CAPCO. In most cases, the Content within comments represents the opinions and judgments of the respective information provider or user. CAPCO neither endorses nor is responsible for the accuracy or reliability of any comments
6. Release. YOU HEREBY IRREVOCABLY RELEASE CAPCO, its officers, employees, contractors and licensors FROM ANY AND ALL LIABILITY FOR ANY DAMAGE, LOSS, LIABILITY OR EXPENSE THAT YOU MAY SUFFER OR INCUR AS A RESULT OF OR ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE BLOG OR THE CONTENT.
7. Indemnity. You agree to defend, indemnify and hold CAPCO, its officers, employees, contractors and licensors (“Indemnified Parties”) harmless from and against any damage, loss, liability or expense (including reasonable attorney’s fee) that any of the Indemnified Parties may suffer or incur as a result of any claim attributable to or based upon your use of the blog or any of the Content. If for any reason you are not satisfied with the blog or the Content, your sole remedy is to cease using the blog or the Content.
8. General. If any provision of these Rules is held to be unenforceable, this holding will not affect the validity of the other provisions. CAPCO controls the content on this site from our offices in Washington, DC. These Rules, and your use of the sites, will be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of Washington, DC, U.S.A, excluding its conflicts-of-law rules. Any controversy or dispute will be submitted to the local or federal courts in and for Washington, DC. You hereby consent to the personal jurisdiction of Washington, DC, acknowledge that venue is proper in any local or Federal court in Washington, DC, and waive any objection that may exist, now or in the future, with respect to any of the foregoing. These Rules constitutes the complete and exclusive statement of the terms, conditions and representations of the agreement between you and CAPCO with respect to the blog and the Content and supersedes all other agreements with respect to the subject matter hereof.
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