
Think you can tell the difference between a think tank with a straightforward name and one that's misleading? Nonprofit organization Consumer Reports lets you test your ability to see through green murketing with their new report and interactive quiz, Weeding out ‘green’ groups.
Through the process of taking the quiz, you find out how a number of so-called 'green' think tanks have chosen misleading names. These groups sound good for the environment but actually advocate for unsound industries. This is particularly dangerous because these think tanks are now lending their support to organizations, businesses and candidates looking to appear more environmentally conscious.
Take Americans for Balanced Energy Choices, for example. (You may have seen the name recently, as they have been sponsoring the national broadcasts for the presidential primary debates.) This group, whose name would suggest that they stand for a variety of energy alternatives, actually represents coal producers and power companies.
For more on green myths vs. reality, go to www.frontgroups.org, a joint project of Consumer Reports WebWatch and the Center for Media and Democracy.