Akademik

n.

A corporate advertisement that extols the company's environmental record or policies. Also: eco-pornography.

"We're all used to eco-porn by now; those beautiful television ads featuring some natural jewel, during which an announcer with a four-balls voice tells us how much Exxon or some other gross polluter is doing to keep our precious earth green."

— Molly Ivins, "Think eco-porn's bad? Check out pharma-porn," The Seattle Times, May 14, 2001

But Fischer holds most companies at bay. He is largely derisive of the 'green' advertising that he terms 'eco-porn.'

—Eric Nelson, "Michael Fischer Spurs Coalitions Between Sierra Club, Companies," San Francisco Business Times, April 19, 1991

"We think Earth Day is a good thing. We're also convinced it has some extremely negative side effects," said Peter Dykstra, spokesman for Washington-based Greenpeace, one of the most visible and militant environmental groups.

"There's a lot of 'greenwashing' going on," Dykstra said. "It is frequently pursued most energetically by the companies with the worst records. The dolphin problems have been known for a quarter century. That canners timed their policy change now is certainly not coincidence."

Some industries accused by the environmental movement of the most serious pollution history, such as lumber-product companies, have incensed Earth Day celebrants by claiming to be their allies.

The American Forest Council, for example, a group of timber and paper companies, has taken out large magazine ads that say "For Us, Every Day is Earth Day."

"That goes beyond greenwashing," Dykstra said. "It's eco-pornography. It exploits environmental concern, just as pornography is commonly considered offensive and exploitative."

—Rick Gladstone, "Getcha Clean Gasoline, Recyclable Ketchup Bottles and Dolphin-Free Tuna!," The Associated Press, April 13, 1990

Columnist Molly Ivins has used today's phrase numerous times over the years, so I'm giving her credit for popularizing it. However, second example citation suggests that the phrase was coined by former Sierra club executive director Michael Fischer.