Originally Posted by SteakWitImapler
We got two disagreements here, Alesis. I'm going to cede the latter, but the former I think still needs to be cleared up.
Here you're willfully missing the point. A "green accountant" is not
"green" because they use "green" materials in the act of accounting (hence my tongue in cheek mention of a no carbon footprint abacus). Rather, a "green accountant" advises a client on conducting the client's financial affairs in a manner that is both fiscally and environmentally sound. Say investing in renewable energy for tax credits, buying a fleet of hybrid or electric vehicles to lower fuel costs, etc. Maybe the guy you saw simply uses recycled paper. In that case, I'd agree he's not a green accountant, just a marketing opportunist. But there is something to be said for green accounting practices.
Your analogies about virgins and vegans don't really fly. A nutritionist could give someone sound nutritionally advice, and then go home and feed him or herself a meal of Hormel chilli and ramen, polished off with a box of Krispy Kremes and would still be a nutritionists. On a certain noral ethical level, you might call her a hipocrite, but he or she's doing the job.
So we don't digress, if you don't mind I might PM you about this, as I'm really into soft drinks of all sorts, and while only as pipedream, someday I'd like to take my hobby/interest and take a stab at it as a labor of love.
OK, you're talking about the most common industrial production of
citric acid, but that is not the only way industries make it. I don't know the labelling requirements to go on "organic" or "natural" beverages (again, for me it's just a hobby) but I don't know if your hostility to the beverage in question (Steaz? -- I'll say I don't like their regular products, but I have enjoyed the energy drink beverages. My tongue isn't a chemical analyzers, but my palette and gut and blood pressure found it a much easier drink than both mainstream energy drinks and sodas.
Yes, I've heard of different formulas, that's why I generally only drink Coke when I can grab an "import" bottle at a taqueria. On the other hand, the raw honesty of the label in "the other country" depends largely on that country's regulatory environment. In some countries what you see is what you get, in others labels just give you a rough idea of what the marketers want you to see yourself drinking.
Yes, in principle, and I'd argue Steaz, Boylan's "Natural" line and the like thrive on the "wholesome" market (again, I'm not as well studied in this as you apparently are, so go ahead and eviscerate Steaz, but please tell me Boylan can remain in this steak's soft drink rally's pole position). But the "Big Food Producers" wouldn't be the giant entities they are today if it wasn't for their cost-cutting moves backwhen, and ultimately you're talking about shareholders, not neccessarily conscience when it comes to Pepsi and Coca-Cola.
You're right, industry should be lobbied to adopt more wholesome production techniques, and they are. Unfortunately much of the "green" trend's most vocal advocates is hopelessly anti-business. Back to my initial response, I'm sure there was a lot of b.s. at the fest. I still think there's more productive ways of addressing the b.s. than an outright ridculing pan.
|