This event will address how corporations have responded to the public call for businesses to act in ways that are environmentally friendly. The main area of discussion will be the practice of “greenwashing,” whereby companies claim that their business practices are less harmful to the environment than the competition’s or, at least, less harmful than they have been in the past. Since greenwashing is largely a marketing tactic, its critics -- among them journalists, activists, scientists and politicians -- have responded with their own public relations campaigns, pointing out the flaws and inconsistencies in the corporations’ self-portrayals. Further, government agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency and various state and local regulators have attempted to impose standards which would evaluate claims of corporate environmentalism.