Kermit the Frog summed up the current state of eco-tourism public relations when he lamented "It's not that easy being green" on Sesame Street. Public relations practitioners eager to find something positive to pitch to the media are finding that, Al Gore and Leonardo DiCaprio notwithstanding, it's a growing challenge generating eco-tourism coverage with a press corps increasingly suffering from "green fatigue."

The symptoms — including skepticism about claims of sustainability and cutting edge technology — are something all PR practitioners should take care to avoid with a constant reality check (and not just when tying clients to the "green" movement, but with all major trends).

Agency executives urging their clients to jump on the proliferation of organic product offerings, environmentally friendly initiatives and any other program which makes claims of being a saver of the earth had best think twice before making promises to their clients of great coverage possibilities. While it isn't necessary to invent the next hybrid to gain significant ink or broadcast time, there is increasing suspicion on the part of reporters with new expertise in environmentalism that "trendiness" is taking over "cutting edge" when it comes to "going green."

While many of the products being introduced to consumers have the "creds" to be considered genuine, many more are coming on the market with questionable claims to authenticity. Some of the reasons agencies are jumping on the bandwagon can be traced to the poor economy and the media's seeming obsession with reporting bad news. When looking for new "hooks" to interest mainstream media, some firms are seeing the back to nature movement as a solid way to score positive attention for their clients increased awareness of corporate social responsibility, including protecting the environment.

One of the most effective ways to avoid charges of "greenwashing" by the media is to make sure you and your client do their homework before touting the eco-friendly advantages of a product or service. At The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, we have a twenty-year history of giving back to the community, but have recently raised the commitment level to involve our guests in opportunities through programs like "Giveback Getaways," offering chances for groups and vacationers to take part in our long-time Community Footprints CSR initiatives.

Wary of being seen as jumping on the bandwagon, we enlisted the advice and guidance of one of the most experienced, third party experts in the field. When pitching a story to a skeptical reporter at USA Today, we suggested she speak with this impartial resource helped to soften the tone of the piece. While we did not escape a sardonic reference to the program as being similar to Marie Antoinette feeding the peasants before returning to her grand estate, the expert strongly backed our efforts as meaningful, sustainable and responsible. We avoided the temptation to jump into these programs before enlisting the advice of someone who the media found to have an impeccable record of credibility and knowledge.

While it may not be that easy being green, it can work if agencies and their clients can claim a seat at the table as the discussion of what does and does not qualify as eco-friendly, socially responsible initiatives. The last time I checked neither Al Gore nor Leonardo Di Caprio were available as spokespersons.