Contributed by Carolyn Hansen I traveled last week to the Good and Green Conference and came away with a few new (to me) insights. In no particular order:

1. The conference is specifically about marketing -- so you won't hear from the radical wing of the green party there. In fact, one of the most memorable quotes was about leveraging "the most potent force on earth . . . capitalism." (Who knew? Capitalism seems to be barely holding its own lately.)
2. We want green to be black and white, good fighting evil, smart versus ignorant. But we send and receive a lot of mixed signals about the environment.That's because all of us -- businesses and consumers -- have hopelessly mixed motives. One speaker -- Joel Makower, author of a new book, Strategies for the Green Economy -- used the word "dysfunctional" to describe the green consumer market. That can be summed up in the attitude that says "I want to be green, as long as it doesn't cost me anything or require any sacrifice."
3. It surprised me to hear how many businesses hide their green light under a bushel. If you go public with your green initiatives, some people may punish you for not being green enough. You may be labeled a greenwasher, no matter how pure your intentions.
4. On the other hand, transparency is a critical value that can keep the perception of your business on the side of the angels, in the minds of consumers. And, as if you need a further push, everything will get out there anyway. We live in an era where secrets are difficult to keep.

It probably has to be "good enough" that businesses and their marketing teams are thinking about this issue and doing something -- anything -- at all. Despite the current recession, capitalism is still a pretty potent force. It may have gotten us into the environmental pickle we're now in. But judging by the quality of people I met at Good and Green, it's possible that capitalism can get us out of it. About Carolyn Hansen, VP Marketing, Hacker Group and founding member of Green Marketing Coalition Carolyn's 25 years of direct marketing experience are unusually varied - and extremely comprehensive. She started out in direct mail production, then moved on to statistical analysis. She wrote copy on the agency as well as the client side. Carolyn has been with Hacker Group since 1992. For many years she lead the creative team as Executive Creative Director and served as a link between Creative and Account Services. Now she focuses her efforts on client strategy and account planning, working with clients, the account team and business development professionals.