Large companies love greenwash and it seems there's always someone waiting to oblige. In 2006, Veolia ES Hampshire, which operates 3 incinerators, was given a 'Green Hero' award by The Green Organisation, a company whose main function appears to be as an image-laundry for large companies: http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Green_Apple_Environment_Awards.
'Green Apple Awards' are given to a variety of projects, some genuinely 'green' and some rather less-so. More 'prestigious' initiatives/companies (like, er, Veolia) get 'Green Hero' status.
Veolia is in good company: Green Apple/Hero awards have been awarded to EDF Energy, DHL, Bovis, Defra, McAlpine, Tesco and many other luminaries of green practice.Even the Barnstaple Western Bypass (that's the actual bypass) got one, despite being bitterly opposed by local green campaigners in Friends of the Earth and the Green Party for its destruction of natural habitats and encouragement of car-use etc: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/3117587.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/3999003.stm
The Green Organisation also owns Live Earth a company about which there is even less information than its 'parent'. Multi-millionaire owner of the Green Organisation, Jan Telensky, received a Live Earth Award for his own tourist development - AquaCity - a resort in Slovakia. http://jtcompanynews.blogspot.com/2008/06/worlds-leading-green-resort-achieves.html
Winners of the Gold Green Apple in 2008 win a free holiday in...................AquaCity, which is described as 'conveniently positioned within just 8 minutes of Poprad international airport, AquaCity is also just 15 minutes' drive of the dramatic High Tatras Mountains.'
We hope that Green Apple winners are at least offered the green travel option: 'AquaCity is less than ten minutes' walk from Poprad mainline station, with good and inexpensive rail links to main towns and cities throughout Slovakia, including the capital, Bratislava and over the mountains into Poland, to link with Krakow.'
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