ABOUT
Smart discussion of the latest science and news on toxins in your food, water, and air, and what government agencies should be doing to protect public health. Written by EWG staff.
DONATE TO EWG!
Help us protect your health and environment! Please donate $5 to EWG today.
GET EWG'S TIPS & ACTION ALERTS
Sign Up here to receive email updates and tips from EWG and stay informed on the issues that matter most to you.
ENVIROBLOG VIA EMAIL
Join EWG's live chat with Chef Ann Cooper
School lunch: More fruits & veggies, please!
Texas Schools are Drilling for Dollars
Why do blowouts take so long to fix?
SEARCH ENVIROBLOG
FEATURED
Support the 2010 Safe Cosmetics Act. It's Urgent.
Why, oh why is there plastic in my aluminum water bottle?
Cell phone radiation series - Part 2: 8 Ways to reduce your exposure
Test Your Knowledge of Cosmetics Safety: 8 Myths Debunked
EWG's Tips for Parents: The Series
EWG's Tips to avoid BPA exposure
EWG on TV
Cutting the Pork from U.S. Farm Bill
Sunscreen safety & DC drinking water
Perchlorate in people, kids' personal care products & plastics, and sunscreen
BPA in baby formula & safe cosmetics
What can I do about fluoride in my water?
What is new carpet treated with? What can I do?
Are stainless steel water bottles safe?
Is mineral-based makeup safer?
PEOPLE TALKING TOXICS
TALK TO US
Did we miss something? Email Enviroblog.
« Got to get dirty before you get clean | Main | Diplomas and nose jobs »
An environmental organization disguised as a clothing company
This morning, NPR launched a series on how Americans are adapting to global warming with a feature on Patagonia, the Ventura outdoor clothing manufacturer. Reporter Scott Horsley leans on some eco-hippie cliches (organic pasta in the employee cafeteria, surfboards in the board room, free on-site yoga sessions) but notes that Patagonia's philosophy – acknowledging that making clothes inherently causes adverse environmental impacts, while doing everything possible to minimize harm – is not only profitable today but designed to keep the company in business for a long time. Says CEO Casey Sheehan: "There's no profit to be made on a dead planet."
Patagonia's environmental commitment goes well beyond its business practices. The company has a grants program that supports advocacy groups (including EWG) and sponsors a semi-annual conference that teaches campaign skills to activists (at which I've been a workshop leader). Still not green enough for you? The company will pay the fine of any employee who is arrested for participating in environmental protests, and donates climbing gear to The Ruckus Society, an Oakland-based organization that trains environmentalists and others in non-violent direct action. Not just sustainable, not just activist, but radical – it's a business model we need more of.
Leave a comment