Friday, April 01, 2005

The Green Tag Conundrum

Curt's post at Alternative Energy~Renewable Energy got me thinking more about green tags, and I must admit that I'm uncomfortable with them. In theory, they're a great idea; in practice, how does the buyer know they're not being taken for a ride? You'll have to forgive my cynicism -- one of my academic interests is con artistry, and green tags seem like they could be a great vehicle for a confidence game... Is there any kind of verification procedure for these financial instruments? And would any kind of trading beyond the initial purchase mean anything? Wouldn't the "environmental attributes" that green tags represent have a finite lifespan, making any further trading impossible (at least ethically)? Help me out here... I really want to believe...

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