It's Not Easy Being Green: Green Marketing and Environmental Consumerism in Continuing Higher Education

O ver the last few years, terms such as “carbon neutral,” “greenwashing,” and “zero impact” have begun to permeate the media. The proliferation and serious use of such terms reflect a significant cultural focus on one of the most crucial issues of our time: sustainability—an effort to reduce our impact on the environment. Not surprisingly, the current focus on all things “green—greener— greenest” has found its way into the realm of continuing higher education as well through a proliferation of courses and programs. A recent Internet search on the phrase “sustainability certificate” produced over 7,600 results, reflecting a strong perceived or real demand. This article provides both a working knowledge of the field and practical applications of the concepts and is organized according to the following sections: • sustainability in the US; • the corporate response; • sustainability in higher education and continuing higher education;