Smooth Talkers: What do "green" words really mean?

With growing consumer attention being paid to healthier food and environmental choices, it didn't take long for marketers to find ways to jump on the bandwagon - even if they are nowhere near the healthy side of available products.  While the terms "organic" and "Fair Trade" (and their official logos) have legal guidelines that must be followed to use those terms, plenty of other monickers are being thrown around that require no actual meaning or accountability by the producers, mainly because manufacturers are  not required to list ingredients on product lablels.  When you see terms like "nontoxic," "biodegradable," "natural" or "environmentally friendly" keep in mind that there is not ncessarily any governmental regulation of the truth of these claims.  Even in the area of organics, there is a legally accepted gradation of the term that can be confusing to consumers.  For instance, a product can use the word "organic" on its label if any of its ingredients qualify.  Only items with the official USDA approved organic seal meet the governmental qualifications for status as 100% organic.