The green marketing research firm Terrachoice released its annual “Sins of Greenwashing” study last Tuesday. I got a sneak peak on Monday…here are the big picture findings, and some of the debate over the report.
On the heels of my recent column on China’s investment in clean technology, two news items really caught my attention in the last couple of weeks. They tell an interesting story of who in the U.S. is really prepared to build a modern energy system.
Business guru Seth Godin is on a bit of a tear lately on issues related to sustainability.
Three posts that grab me…
From the great Edward Abbey: “Do not burn yourselves out. Be as I am. A reluctant enthusiast and part-time crusader. A half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves for pleasure and adventure.”
In the heated discussions about climate change and the clean tech economy, it’s hard to avoid arguing about whether green jobs are “real” or if they can replace traditional fossil-fuel jobs. But this debate is moot on two counts.
By wielding a tool more powerful than legal action, protests, or even partnership, a relative upstart — the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) — has rapidly become the NGO to watch. CDP and its backers are basically demanding transparency– that’s the powerful idea that makes the NGO so strong.
The New York Times reported today that the U.S. Military is aggressively pursuing “Less Dependence on Fossil Fuels.” Why does the military care about going green? Because the cost in money, resources, and lives to bring fuel to Afghanistan and Iraq is just too great. A few of the mind-blowing statistics in this article…
Popular Science released its list of Breakthrough Awards 2010 for new ideas and products (some on the design table, some out in the market). Out of 18 winners, 5 are clearly green innovations:
China is spending $75 billion or more each year for the next ten years to build a clean economy. The country is in the clean tech race to win it. Is the U.S.?
The world faces some big shocks in the realms of sustainability and climate change, and the ways of thinking about the future described in Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s book, The Black Swan, will come in handy. But two competing black swans — climate change itself or worldwide action to pursue sustainability — both of which seem unlikely, are competing. Let’s hope the second one wins.
‘Is the World Better Off Because Your Company Is In It?’: Examining Corporate Climate Responsibility
