So did Treehugger sell out to big bad Discovery?

Speaking of Big Bad Discovery, I was wondering what Treehugger's input will be and is on Planet Green.

Sell out?? Get off the high horse hippies. There is NOPTHING wrong with being successful in life or business. Put the pipe down for a minute.

LA: love the spelling.

here is NOPTHING wrong with being successful in life or business.

You sure there's nopthing wrong with it?

To Anonymous:

Great! I will become enormously successful by poisoning your family by selling them harmful products. Nothing wrong with that!

you fake liberals love to point out a bit of bad spelling don't you. How does it look from your high horse?

High horse! Brawk!

It's amazing that people who want to protect human health and the environment from corporations who knowingly pollute and use toxic chemicals are called Liberals. Is that supposed to be an insult?

I guess non-liberals like it when profits are put way above human and environmental health. Are you seeing any benefit from their earnings? I don't think so.

I love this assumption that 'liberals' are on 'the pipe'. I only know a handful of potheads, but they are all hardcore bushies.

Think global, buy local!!

If that makes me a liberal to buy my veggies from Farmer Don down the road, then that is what I am. I'd reather buy what I know that I am eatting.

As for products, I'd buy American over anything else. Althou,... that's getting harder to do. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to see China making money, but not at the expence of my neighbors losing their jobs.

Let me saying I am not a bed wetting liberal, I often misspell words when I am typing, and I don't judge in either situation.

What's wrong with "selling out", this is what happens in business. The big companies get bigger until they can no longer sustain yearly profits. Consumers get sick of it and start buying from the small guys, the small guy becomes bigger, more profitable and the cycle continues. I am just glad this time that the businesses that are currently "fashionable" are trying to be eco friendly. Let’s not out green each other here people. You can complain about big business while drinking your morning coffee out of a Styrofoam cup. At the end of the day, cow flatulence is going to lend a bigger contribution to green house gas emission then our tanned hyde leather shoes and coffee. Does that mean we boycott Ben and Jerry's for all the darn ice-cream? No, let’s encourage eco conscience behavior from all business big and small.

It isn't about politics its about health.

I hope the smaller health food stores, at least, stop carrying them altogether. I certainly will never buy their products again. Yes, it is fine to make money; however, when a company perpetuates an image such as BB's has done for so long, and then does THIS--that is just hypocrisy. Should have seen it coming when the supermarkets and large drugstore chains began carrying the line.

Until Clorox can prove they are "eco-friendly", I will consider them not to be. Yes, I buy their products for the purpose for which they are made. And, if I have to, I will drink from styrofoam (very rarely). But I will not support a bought-out "green" liine based upon my personal ethics. Additionally, I have found that the product tends to change in both quality and consistency when they are bought out. I fear Clorox is buying the name and image alone, in an attempt to fit into the rising current eco-savvy market.

I do not always "buy green". However, when I do, I want there to be truth in advertising.

BOYCOTT BURT'S BEES!

I'd like to give Burts the benefit of the doubt - I don't believe their products / processes will change. Let's wait and see...

If they don't change, I think it is great that Burts will have the backing of a major corporation to be distributed more broadly. I don't see anything wrong with selling more products, as long as they are still "good" ones!

I fought with myself on this one for a while, too, but I've decided that as long as ethical companies that are now owned by not-so-ethical parent companies continue forward with their ethical ways, I will continue to support them, meanwhile continuing to pass over on the parent company's other offerings. I personally think this is one way to get the message across to the bigger players that there is money to be made (which, let's face it, is the basis of business) by adopting ethical practices if they see their ethical business thriving. Also, it oftentimes brings the ethical products into the financial range of the greater public rather than keeping them solely as "treat" items, or the domain of the rich. Many times I hear of people who would like to buy more earth-friendly products but just can't afford it, and like it or not, the big-business usually can offer products at a more reasonable rate.

Every dollar you use to purchase Burt's Bees products now goes to support: bleach, charcoal, chemical cleaners with green labels, non-biodegrading laundry soaps for our waterways, carcinogen production, a buttload of plastic and chemical waste, workers overseas being paid unfair wages for undisclosed dangerous work in chemical warehouses AND these warehouses in countries with lax disposal and environmental protection laws (or just powerful, ignorant companies breaking the known rules). THEREFORE, every dollar spent is a choice. Burt's Bee's products can be made at home, easily, no need to "pay the price."

I own a health food store and will be slowly closing out the Burt's Bees section. I can't sleep at night knowing that I am contributing to a company that has blatently polluted the environment. Burt's has always been a great and clean product, but I don't want to look at each item when it comes in and see if it is changing, or wonder if they are now cleaning their facility with clorox. I will always help my customers find good products that don't contribute money to companies that distroy our environment. There are plenty of other companies that are responsible, I will promote them. By the way I am not a hippy, just a very successful business woman

I am an owner of a health food store and threw all my BB's products in the trash. I refuse to support a company that is in bed with a company that does all the wrong things! Don't be fooled people this is about a consorted effort by big corporations to buy "GREEN" because they see the money. In truth they WILL bastardize everything they touch, it's in their "nature".

Hi, Guys,
I'm new to this blog, but here goes. Fact: Like it or not, the profit motive isn't going to go away, anytime soon. I personally have no problem whatsoever with AEA (the investment group that bought out Roxanne Quimby) making tons of money, what bothers me is that they didn't seem to even give one moment's thought to either A) the customers of Burt's Bees and the profitability of the business from those customers going forward, when many customers feel they need to leave Burt's behind and B) the synergy (or in this case, total lack of) between purchaser and target acquisition. I know for a fact it IS COMPLETELY possible to make oodles of money and benefit the world as a whole. But first, one has to be aware that there is actually a world out there to benefit. And don't forget Burt and Roxanne - who says the 'sell out' as you put it, didn't start there? Or were they just naive? I guess we'll never know. I, too, am saddened by the opportunity missed here. A little bit of sensitivity to the world around them could have lead AEA to put some work into finding a buyer who could take the company to a whole new place ethically AND financially. But money is the best insulator know to man. Perhaps in another 20 years, Clorox will wake up and smell the roses. I sure as hell hope so. In the meantime, keep your eyes out for the next Burt's Bees and lend them your support. With globalization and the price tag of entry into that market, they are going to need it. And so will we. And remember this : Clorine is just as toxic, whether you're a Liberal or Conservative. While we argue with each others politics, AEA, Clorox and the other money centric companies are laughing all the way to the bank. They don't give one hoot who wins the argument. As long as we make personal politics the issue, they can continue their uncaring business practices with total impunity. I'd urge you to seriously think about that. And if you are so moved, write to Clorox with a sincere - not angry- heart and ask them to think on why their profits were falling while Burt's Bee's were flourishing. Anger lets them off the hook because then your attitude is the issue, not their practices. Change can only ever come from inside, and thoughtful words are never wasted. Maybe a secretary who reads it and is moved by your words will someday run the company. Or maybe someone on the board will see it the week his or her child is diagnosed with cancer. Please stop attacking each other and ignoring things that can be done to change things now. I wish us all God's speed.
Abby

To "Abby" from December, I would just like to say thank you for writing what is possibly the most thoughtful and intelligent blog entry I have ever read. Your insight contributed more to this blog, and got me thinking more, than the entire rest of the comments combined. So thank you for being the logic amongst the din.

If there's a privately owned company making a similar and good product, my preference is to favor the privately held companies. Once stockholders are involved, profit becomes the main motivator and standards slide.

Its a shame because I really do like Burt's Bees products, but I would rather support a company like EcoLips or Dr. Bronner's rather than by my old favorite Burt's lip balm.

If there's a privately owned company making a similar and good product, my preference is to favor the privately held companies. Once stockholders are involved, profit becomes the main motivator and standards slide.

Its a shame because I really do like Burt's Bees products, but I would rather support a company like EcoLips or Dr. Bronner's rather than by my old favorite Burt's lip balm.