September 2009

The Toyota Prius became available worldwide in 2001 and since then has advanced a couple of generations. It isn’t until recently though, that Toyota has admitted the Prius could soon conceivably surpass the Camry as its most popular vehicle. The Prius brand name has become so popular that competitors like GM are trying to mimic its success with green cars like the Chevy Volt.

Thinking beyond the 2010 Toyota Prius, the company plans to expand its offering of the hybrid car to include more models customized for one of its key markets, the United States. This news comes on the coattails of an overall marketing blitz where Toyota plans to offer aggressive pricing subsidies, national campaigns, and budgets for dealers to push their products locally.

Money motivates. That’s what Irish politicians are hoping as they double the tax on plastic bags to keep people from polluting the environment.

Ireland was the first nation to introduce such a tax in 2002. It started at 15 euro cents per bag. Now, an environmental bill is looking to raise the amount per bag from 22 to 44 euro cents, equal to 59 U.S. cents.

The country’s Department of the Environment Minister John Gormley is expected to draft legislation in October for the increase.

“I am encouraged somewhat by previous environmental taxes that we introduced such as the plastic bag levy which initially met with certain resistance,” the Green Party leader said.

The Associated Press reports the Irish plastic bag levy has already brought in more than $175 million in revenue.

In truly capitalist fashion, Fisker Automotive is breaking the bank and clouding up the electric car competition with not only the release of its luxury electric sports car, but also the promise of developing affordable electric sedans.

Previously, big name hybrid car companies knew their place in the market. Tesla had control of the upscale market with the sleek and speedy Roadster; Chevy had control of the mid-scale market with the trendy and sporty Volt, and Toyota had control of the affordable market with the practical and efficient Prius.

Now consumers face a barrage of hybrids from just about every small and big car company. Promises of "better" and "best" circulate the globe every couple of weeks making it difficult for the standard consumer to make sense of it all, and Fisker is certainly not helping.

The Chevy Volt will get its most efficient use from the all-electric mode powering it for the first 40 miles. Driving beyond that kicks in a gasoline engine that extends the range by recharging the battery, but what if electric recharging stations became as ubiquitous as gas stations? Then competing vehicles like the Nissan Leaf would become more viable alternatives for people uncomfortable with a limited drive radius.

There are a variety of companies competing to make electric charging stations, and SolarCity is a great example. It’s working with a bank chain in California to install solar charging stations in nearby parking lots. Customers who want to park and charge up won’t have to pay any fees, and any extra energy captured by the sun is fed back into the electrical grid.

Just how many cars will the installation be able to charge? Lyndon Rive, CEO of SolarCity says:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency boss Lisa Jackson this week announced plans to take a closer look at the science behind smog standards set by the Bush administration.

It’s nice to hear the EPA isn’t sitting idly while the smog rolls in, but it’s also a little unsettling to find out such standards aren’t constantly reviewed, tweaked and updated.

Jackson’s well publicized words only back up my point. She said: “Reconsidering these standards and ensuring acceptable levels of ground-level ozone could cut health care costs and make our cities healthier, safer places to live, work and play.”

It's jobs, it's economics, it's sustainability, and now its booming. Based on optimistic speculation, high risk companies are turning regions of the US  into research hubs in hopes of discovering a legitimate process for utilizing algae as an alternative to fossil fuel. But is the risk too high?

Algae, as an energy source, has been tampered with since the 90's. For years, researchers have understood its potential and have wanted to explore the extent of the autotrophic organisms, but have lacked the capital to make any sort of headway.

Now, with the boom of hybrid cars, awareness of alternative energy sources, and dwindling supply of fossil fuels like oil, algae research is making its way onto corporate and even government budgets.

California has a reputation to uphold, and partly that means dedicating a lot of attention to generating energy from renewable sources. Governor Schwarzenegger has demonstrated his commitment to that reputation by signing an executive order mandating that state utility companies will draw at least 30% of their power from renewable sources like wind and solar power by 2020.

That sounds great, and the constituency in California very much supports green energy production. The conflict arises when state leaders begin talking about specifics. A group of democrats backed by some of the state’s utility companies gained support for passing a bill that would specify how much renewable energy could be pulled from outside state borders.

Google green czar Bill Weihl, pictured right, has been looking to get the search engine investing in green technologies, but has found there just isn’t that much available in which to invest.

That’s made it difficult for Google to meet the goal of leading industry toward an energy source cheaper than coal.

It takes a lot of investment to develop cutting-edge green technology, and that’s one area the U.S. government could help. It’s the sort of investment that could lead to big breakthroughs, big business and a lot of new jobs. So far, though, Weihl said the U.S. hasn’t done enough to help spur on green initiatives.

“I’d like to see $20 billion or $30 billion for 10 years,” he told Reuters. “That would be fabulous. It’s pretty clear what we have seen isn’t enough.”

Everything about China is big.

The world’s most populous nation has a big economy, big problems and big goals. While China faces a daunting slate of environmental challenges, such as 20 percent of the world’s green house gas emissions, they also may have the most to gain from the environmental movement.

A new report by the China Greentech Initiative shows there could be up to $1 trillion annually in the country’s green tech market already by 2013 under the right conditions.

The study highlights 300 green opportunities, such as markets for renewable energy, cleaner industry, cleaner transportation and cleaner water. The China Greentech Report 2009 was conducted by a group of business people and experts. It was just released Thursday.

As the economic downturn continues to limit spending, people are looking for solutions that bring a return on their investments. It is no longer logical to purchase with short term payouts in mind. Instead, people want long term benefits with the few dollars they are able to spend. The new green technological software solutions have the potential to do just that.

Software has transformed the way that society does business, and for that matter life. Each advancement has enabled companies and individuals to allocate resources to new areas of business, making growth a reality.

And now, with green becoming such an emphasized aspect of life, people are pouring resources and time into determining the best green solutions without having the automated help. Those days, however, may be over.

Technology will now allow a new way to do green business. With the advent of Green IT 2.0 and green technology, companies will now be able to track water, waste, and energy consumption without the hassle of a spreadsheet or Word document. The goal is to maximize efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.

The ongoing debate between factions of the scientific community is heating up once again after a large team of international experts released a study saying the arctic is warming despite a 2,000-year cooling trend.

The study is the first to look this far back, and does so by decade. The results show that four of the five warmest decades in the last 2,000 years were between 1950 and 2000.

The science goes something like this: The earth’s natural wobble has brought us 620,000 miles farther away from the sun in the last 2,000 years. This should have caused a cooling trend. Instead, the arctic is 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit warmer. The findings are based on lake sediment, tree rings and glacial ice.

Despite First Solar’s enviable position in the solar power industry of possessing the lowest cost solar panels, it’s looking for new leadership to turn the company around. That’s especially important to investors who are looking at a 13% loss in shares this year.

Rob Gillette will be filling the role and he is transitioning from 4 and a half years as CEO at Honeywell Aerospace. Given Gillette’s experience with an international client-base he should be well positioned to market First Solar’s products on a global scale. He’ll begin his new role on October 1st, replacing 9 year veteran Michael Ahearn.

Apple Computer, Inc. knows a thing or two when it comes to marketing hi tech products like iPhones, iPods and Macbooks but sometimes the company falls short when it comes to packaging. The boxes it ships products in are certainly glamorous and chic, and they’re meant to convey a sense of luxurious quality to its customers who generally are willing to pay a premium price for the Apple brand name.

While that may make sense for something as expensive as an iPhone or Macbook, it doesn’t make sense at all to package a single printed code inside a box together with an intro pamphlet and a few stickers. Come on Apple, you talk about a commitment to reducing your carbon footprint, and packing products efficiently is a low-hanging fruit!