March 2009

For now, solar energy itself is still free. Gathering and converting that energy into electricity creates the cost, and traditionally it’s an expensive upfront investment that took many years to recoup. Pair that with the ease of paying for power incrementally sourced from the grid and most consumers stick with what they know: electricity generated by burning coal.

That’s changing. Power from utility companies is rising -- 5% over the last 38 years. Using that baseline, maintaining the style of living we’re accustomed to will require increasingly more cash for energy. Investing in a set of photovoltaic cells is one way to step outside those price hikes, and recouping costs from an installation like that can happen in as little as 8 years. But how much does a solar installation cost up front?

Want to find the epitome of ironic and hypocritical? Look no further than the highly publicized real-estate entrepreneur Frank McKinney who recently developed a green mansion. In a world turning green, the pressure is mounting for everyone to take their own steps towards sustainability. But a green mansion? Seriously?

McKinney is a haughty real-estate developer who takes Atlantic beach front properties and turns them into lavish multi-million dollar estates. On his web site, he calls himself the “Maverick Daredevil Real Estate Artist” and the title fits him perfectly.

Any person who has the guts to make a property that has more than 70 rooms, 32,000 square feet and a 14 car garage without a potential buyer, and not to mention put it on the market for $50 million dollars, is certainly a thrill seeker. From looking at his estates, it is also pretty obvious that he puts an artistic touch into all of his properties. Maverick, however, is the title that might fit him best after his recent attempt in the green market.

Electric hybrid cars have enjoyed a tidal wave of publicity and they symbolize a new hope for the struggling auto industry. But there’s a problem. Even though electric hybrid cars require much less gasoline than their combustion engine cousins, they still require maintenance and a way to recharge on longer trips.

Building a replacement for the existing gas station infrastructure would require a significant investment, and so far that’s been a barrier for automakers looking to create a product the same universal appeal and flexibility as a combustion engine car.

Obama thinks he can break the deadlock with a $2.4 billion slice of the stimulus package, much of it earmarked for electric infrastructure development.

First green cars and now green dealerships, the race is on in the auto industry for green supremacy in the locations that wheel and deal automobiles. What started in 2007 is now just starting to heat up in 2009 wi th competitors joining the trend to transform dealerships into sustainable, energy-friendly facilities.

Over the last few years, reports have emerged of dealerships and automobile manufacturers getting involved with green initiatives, but the planning for this type of change has been ongoing for quite some time. Features of these green initiatives involve everything from rain collection systems to vegetable oil lubricants — pretty much anything that a car company can claim is green.

So who is involved and who is leading the charge?

The main competitors involved in the dealership movement are Toyota, Honda, GM and Chrysler, with a small group of independent dealers getting in the mix. For the most part, many initiatives overlap and share comparable efforts in sustainability, conservation, and reusability, but some have invested more and it shows.

Imagine soft waves rolling off the blue ocean towards a beachside hotel room in Hawaii. Add a picturesque sunset on the crisp, multi-colored horizon off the shores of Maui. Now, picture the same moment hazed with smog in the air, leaving discoloration and odors in the air.

Fortunately, one company in Maui is doing everything thing they can to keep pollution away from this location sought out by so many travelers. It’s a company that recognizes the importance of reducing the carbon footprint of visitors trekking around the island.

Green Star recently announced to its stockholders that they once again have plans to compete in the electric car industry; the announcement is certainly no surprise for anyone who knows the name. In the 90’s, when the electric car was first building momentum as a viable, environmentally-friendly transportation solution, Green Star—then BAT International—put other car manufacturers to shame with their line of electric vehicles.

Over the past decade and a half, Green Star transformed from an emerging pioneer to an eventual leader in alternative energy. They have done so by providing a plethora of alternative energy sources and conservation practices as well as sustainable products.

According to their web site, Green Star has the goal of achieving “energy independence from petroleum and other fossil fuels.” To reach that goal, they have identified a major fossil fuel guzzler—cars.

Controlling the carbon and chemicals produced by burning goal for energy is the basic premise behind clean coal, but its supporters are struggling to develop legitimacy. Critics have pointed out that pollutants like mercury that are released regularly into the environment and entire geological landscapes are altered from practices like strip mining. Now a forum in New York agrees that clean coal will require a lot more cash before it can become an effective countermeasure.

A nationwide tax in the United States that charged companies based on carbon emissions might provide the kind of investment required. Not surprisingly, the most expensive part of the process is also the most costly to solve.

Just as the tobacco industry denied the science exposing the dangers of smoking, a high-profile chemical company is turning a blind eye to scientific breakthroughs regarding the dangers of dioxins.

Dow Chemical, which began operations in 1897, is accused of using land and rivers as dumping grounds. Now science has shown that dioxins, which form when chlorine-based products are manufactured, have contaminated the watershed around the company’s 1,900-acre plant in Midland, Michigan.

In fact, a group of homeowners living along contaminated waterways are attempting to form a class-action lawsuit against the company. If they prevail, more than 2,000 plaintiffs from the Midland, Saginaw and Bay City areas could be facing off with the $58 billion-a-year corporation.

Sketch out a surfboard turned sideways with a squashed drop of water on top and you’d have a good model for what the latest solar car from MIT’s Solar Electric Vehicle Team looks like. Eleanor will compete in the upcoming World Solar Challenge which pits solar cars from all over the world against each other through 2,000 miles of the Australian outback.

The best part? If Eleanor performs as designed, it won’t have to stop for fuel even once. The sun will provide all the power it needs to cruise through the entire trip. MIT’s Solar Electric Vehicle Team has entered 9 solar cars previously in the race but Eleanor is unique in allowing its driver to sit upright.