Followup: Throwing pizza at whales

Piece Pizzeria's greenwashing is complete. The Second City Greens are meeting there this week. The sad part is that Crust, one of our nation's very few organic restaurants, serves amazing organic pizza within a mere ten minute walk of Piece. And I've never caught Crust running their AC with the windows open.

It's the little things, folks, not that I should have to point that out to fellow environmentalists.

Speaking of greenwashing, Greenpeace has started a new website dedicated to exposing greenwashing. But they have not yet responded to my email asking about Piece's fundraiser on their behalf -- a fundraiser that I personally feel is greenwashing writ small.

FYI, Here's my email to them, sent April 23, 2008:

Hello Greenpeace investigators,

I'm writing to ask about a local issue I've been following here in the Wicker Park/Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago, IL. A local restaurant, Piece Pizzeria (which I don't consider to be environmentally friendly for reasons I explain on my blog, see URL below) recently publicly claimed to have done a fundraiser for Greenpeace. I'd be curious to hear (if you are allowed to say) whether you actually received a donation from Piece Pizzeria on North Avenue for their St. Patrick's Day fundraiser.

You can read my comments on this business (and see photos of their advertising for the fundraiser on your behalf) at: http://trapdoorzombie.blogspot.com/2008/03/piece-pizzeria-in-wicker-park.html. While the post is somewhat sarcastic in tone, I am serious in my feeling that this is basically greenwashing, albeit on a small scale.

I'd love to hear your comments.

Greenpeace: the silence speaks volumes. And I, at least, am listening.