I have written a few times on the current trend to call everything "environmentally friendly." The use of the words "eco" and "environmentally friendly" are used by marketers for everything from a new car, to new clothing. They are buzz words and can be used to describe just about anything we want to sell. It all in how you look at it. Sure, a Prius might be more environmentally friendly than another car, but it's less environmentally friendly than biking or walking to work. It's all relative. Farmer Fred Hoffman alerted me to this Twitter feed from Armstrong Nurseries, the largest independent garden chain in California. According to the feed, "Garden Tip: Do you have bug problems in your garden? Try Sevin Insect Control. It's OK to use on edibles and is environmentally-friendly. via HootSuite." I suppose a vegetable garden sprayed with Sevin is more environmentally friendly than that same area covered in concrete.
What's really neat is how people like Fred can catch stuff like this now. No longer are advertisers going to be able to make claims without being called to task. It's good for the public, and good for business. It's even good for Armstrong Nurseries, as they now have a forum to tell us about their claim.