Green Technology Essay

Introduction

A green company strives to reduce environmental pollution caused by its activities. It achieves this through reduction or treatment of its greenhouse and toxic emissions and by treating effluent water and waste products. Green companies also reduce pollution through the use of renewable energy such as solar photovoltaic or solar water heating systems. Green products are recyclable, biodegradable, and their use does not harm the environment or cause increase in activities which lead to pollution. Greenwashing describes products or companies which spend more effort and resources furthering their green image rather than engaging in activities which actually reduce their environmental impact. This is a paper on green products and green companies.
Two of the best green companies are Allergan, a healthcare organization, and Adobe Systems, which is a technology company, specialized in software creation. Both of these companies have a green rating of 85.1% and 84.4% respectively. On the other hand, the top greenwashing companies are General Electric (GE) and American Electric Power (AEP). In 2005, GE launched an “Ecomagination” campaign which was supposed to introduce a line of eco-friendly products. By 2008, the products had generated $17 billion in revenue and their impact has not elevated the company’s green rating so far. American Electric Power described their 2008 Sustainability Report as "comprehensive report offering a frank discussion" on the company’s environmental performance. On the other hand, its CEO terms sustainability as a close working relationship with the stakeholders. This shows that the company does not have a clear understanding of what environmental sustainability means.
Spinetoram is an insecticide of the spinosyn family developed by Dow AgroSciences LLC and it won an award in 2008. The insecticide has low toxicity to mammals and other species and is better than a previous award winning pesticide, spinosad, developed in 1999. This insecticide is a green product because it will not cause toxic contamination on the target animals and to the environment. Farmers will also not suffer losses due to deaths or disposal of contaminated livestock and finally, farming will become an appealing undertaking without the problemof livestock pests.