Corporate Ads Grow Greener

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"The 'green' advertising wave is on, as companies from Ford to General Electric to BP blitz the airwaves with concern for a clean planet," the International Herald Tribune reports. "Advocacy groups and politicians are now challenging those corporate assertions." For example, in a recent ad Ford claims it is "dramatically ramping up its commitment" to more environmentally friendly cars. "Left unstated in Ford's recent ads: In 2003, the No. 2 U.S. automaker after General Motors, dropped its promise to increase average fuel efficiency on its sport utility fleet. In 2004, the company joined other automakers in suing to block a California law that would limit emissions of gases linked to global warming. And even if Ford meets its goals, low-emission hybrids by 2010 would make up less than 4 percent of the company's fleet," the IHT reports. Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut's attorney general, called some of Ford's claims "questionable," telling the IHT, "They're definitely exploiting the fashion of environmentally friendly vehicles."