Five years ago, who would have thought these folks would be going green? Something worth celebrating on Earth Day.

While lauding green changes, keep your eyes peeled for greenwashing -- and don't let them get away with it!

Mass-marketed snacks routinely claim to be organic, but does green-washing work — or just remind us to eat more healthfully?

By Siel

These days we’re constantly bombarded with media messages touting the latest and greatest eco-saviors. Compact fluorescent light bulbs save the polar bears! Bamboo clothes redefine eco-agriculture and couture fashion! Mineral makeup pretties-up your face and the planet too!

Green gifts are one of the season's biggest retail trends. A new study helps shoppers make sure what they're getting really is green.

Organic Cheetos are all the rage. Grocery stores are quickly stocking up on "organic-ish" junk food.

It seems like you can't turn around these days without seeing a billboard or hearing a commercial touting some big corporation's latest green initiative.

Nestlé is getting into the fair-trade coffee business with its new Nescafé Partners Blend brand of instant coffee. BP boasts about its commitment to renewable energy with the new slogan "Beyond Petroleum." Even Wal-Mart, which has been criticized for its ethically suspect labor practices, is trying to go green. The company recently invited former Vice President Al Gore to speak about global warming and has pledged to bring organic food to the masses.

It seems like you can’t turn around these days without seeing a billboard or hearing a commercial touting some big corporation’s latest green initiative. Nestlé is getting into the fair-trade coffee business with its new Nescafé Partners Blend brand of instant coffee. BP boasts about its commitment to renewable energy with the new slogan “Beyond Petroleum.” Even Wal-Mart, which has been criticized for its ethically suspect labor practices, is trying to go green. The company recently invited former Vice President Al Gore to speak about global warming and has pledged to bring organic food to the masses.

If you've flipped through a magazine or taken in an hour of evening news lately you've probably seen one of the many new ad campaigns from General Electric, BP, Ford, Exxon Mobil, and other blue chip companies trumpeting their ever-stronger environmental stewardship. “A whole lotta greenwashing,” you say? Not so fast.