green incI hesitate to mention the newly released book “Green Inc” on this blog, because the book makes some scathing accusations on the Environmental industry as a whole, and in general, I disagree with much of the tone (and implications) of the book. However, the author is certainly very credible, and the book is getting considerable play in the news media, so I thought I would make a few comments.

Christine MacDonald, the journalist who wrote the book, is a true environmental insider, having worked at Conservation International, a large environmental organization. The book is a very rich source of information, including some not well known facts on the origin of the modern environmental movement. For example, I was not aware that Rachel Carlson’s book “Silent Spring” published in 1962, had such a strong impact on creating the first public awareness of the environmental problem we face. Nor was I aware that as late as 1978, the World Wildlife Fund had a budget as low as 2 Million dollars a year.

MacDonald paints a picture of massive environmental organizations, with massive CEO pay packages and questionable ties to industry. For example, she highlights WWF’s support of IKEA, while some of IKEA’s wood products have been traced (in the past) to sensitive forest habitats. She resents John Adams, head lawyer for the NRDC having a total 2006 compensation package of $757,000. And she criticizes carbon offset programs for not adequately monitoring their tree planting programs.

While MacDonald would prefer a world in which environmental organizations were small, grass-roots enterprises, and that people would voluntarily reduce their carbon footprints on their own — its clear she is out of touch with the the scale of very real and pressing problems we face in the next twenty years. We don’t need to waste our time finding fault with the details of pay packages, corporate dealings or questionable labels when our oceans are being depleted of fish and filled with plastic debris, and a new coal fired plant is being built every week in China.

John Adams $757,000 a year salary is a fraction of what he would have made in private practice. The world should thank him for leading the NRDC from one victory to another. And he should feel no guilt whatsoever for his compensation package. Yes, there are problems with every large retail company, including IKEA – but this is hardly the root of the problem. I also commend Wallmart for trying to be green. It’s good sense and good business sense, and they should do it. The people screaming “greenwashing” are in many cases doing much more harm than good.

– Fred Krueger