Green - or Guilt - Selling?

Couple of years ago, I got a request to contribute airline miles to help soldiers coming home from active duty. Apparently the government only paid for tickets to a US gateway and they were expected to pay for the flight home from there. So, basically the miles would help them buy a domestic ticket. As I started to, I remembered from all my international travel that the domestic portion usually added a small amount - between $ 50 to 100 - to an international fare. I would happily pay that in cash for a deserving soldier, but no - the airlines wanted me to use miles for a free ticket at what the industry would value at $ 625. I have seen similar requests to send calling cards to soldiers.  But look at the rates per minute on those cards.

What's this got to do with Green Computing? I see growing moral pressure from vendors for companies to adopt more environmentally friendly products. But those products are typically premium priced. Then you have the issue of greenwashing.

Look, everyone wants to do good by Mother Nature, but do not just sucker the consumer to bear all the cost.