It turns out "green washing" is also green tasting. According to a new study, people who self-identified as environmentalists preferred the taste of coffee labeled "eco-friendly" to the exact same coffee that didn't carry that label.

Nothing says the holidays like waking up to dozens of emails from retailers offering sales, discounts and other shopping appeals. As a consumer, it's easy to feel extremely overwhelmed at the array of shopping options. You may also feel powerless to the onslaught of pressure to buy, consume and spend.

Participating in a car co-op may not be up your alley, but there are plenty of Millennials eschewing ownership and Boomers that are downsizing who buy into the notion of "Collaborative Economy" - making co-owning cars a viable option for some.

If the perception of your brand's green efforts is falling short of reality, then it's time to stop and re-examine all aspects of the social impact of your outreach. Gone are the days when consumers would buy "green" for green's sake; they want to see for themselves how a brand is actually making a difference. And, it's in your best interest to inform and educate them.

And what this means for greater changes in society.

From regulators to investors to curious consumers and members of the C-suite, companies' sustainability initiatives are being scrutinized with increasing intensity. As the 2015 Millennium Development Goals deadline looms on the horizon, many companies are faced with answering the question: "What progress have you made in your sustainability journey?"

If you think that garnering "likes" and monitoring how many times your green content is shared across social media platforms is the Holy Grail, then think again. Consider that it simply means that your customers perceive it as accessible, engaging and useful, but it may not actually be moving the needle and contributing to your brand's bottom line. Research indicates that marketers are not confident in the effectiveness of their content marketing almost half the time, but that it is a medium or high priority for 90% of survey respondents.

A consortium of New England states has announced efforts to make it easier for states to spur the use of electric cars, such as putting in more charging stations. Meanwhile, carmakers are scratching their heads, trying to beef up sales that are stuck in neutral. Sales of the Chevy Volt are averaging about 22,000 per year, about the same as last year. The Nissan Leaf's sales are comparable. All of which is not by any stretch going to help the Obama administration meet its stated goal of having one million EVs sold by 2015.

Imagine a world where business is booming - creating new jobs, innovative new products, and making a profit - all while not putting any pressure on the planet's finite resources. Does it sound like a fantasy? According to the 2013 Ellen MacArthur Foundation report, "Towards the Circular Economy," not only is it possible, it's vital if businesses want to survive the future and continue to be innovative.

In my last post, I wrote about Patagonia and its attempt to encourage more conscious capitalism. I was, admittedly, a little skeptical of its efforts. With justifiable reason. Its recycling program had conveniently led to greater sales of its freshly wrapped, organically manufactured fleece jackets at seven hundred bucks a pop. Which, depending on where you stood, could either be seen as a totally cynical marketing ploy to hook and reel the collective environmental conscience of the world's self-acclaimed saviors, or an innocent act of environmental responsibility that had serendipitous side effects.