Sept. 26, 2008 - Toyota, GM, Honda, and Whole Foods are rating the largest volume of positive eco-buzz among online bloggers, according to a new report from J.D. Power and Associates.

This report - the first in a series on green conversations in the blogosphere - analyzed 40 million blog posts collected over a six-month period in six major industries: automotive, retail, oil and gas, food and beverage, household products and utilities.

Whole Foods earned a positive mention rate of 78%, the highest of any major brand studied. Three automotive manufacturers - Toyota, GM, and Honda - each generated three times as many mentions than did Whole Foods, of which approximately one-half are positive, according to the report.

All four brands fall within what the report terms the "pacesetter category" in 2008, receiving higher-than-average volume and higher-than-average positive sentiment compared with other brands in their respective industries. No other major brand in any other industry qualified as a pacesetter.

Further findings from the study include:

• Gen-Y bloggers conduct the most discussion about the impact of various home products on the environment.
• Most consumers express disdain for diverting corn and other food products into biofuel production.
• Wal-Mart and eBay receive large overall volumes of sustainability discussion, but have less-than-average positive sentiment, placing them in the emerging quadrant.
• Honda and GM generated more positive buzz around sustainability than did Toyota, primarily because Prius owners are viewed by some as being "snobbish and showy."
• There is consumer skepticism regarding green and renewable energy marketing from oil companies, which are not thought to be credible.

Sustainability blogging has taken off over the past year, according to a separate study.