At this year’s Consumer Electronic Show (CSE), the leading manufactures featured a showcase of green-oriented gadgets. These leading companies included Sony, Toshiba, Panasonic, Sanyo, Philips, Motorola, and LG. A spokesman said” Consumer electronics is a fairly mature area and we need new areas of growth- energy fits into this category”.
It started with much of the environmental activity in electronics was driven by regulation. Global companies have to comply with a multitude of various hazardous material standards for various uses. . Many states have different recycling laws. There are many voluntary certification such as EnergyStar power efficiency label and EPEAT, a rating system that covers materials, energy, and recycling plans.
Although product designers have to make difficult decisions that balance eco-features, such as energy efficiency. against other improvements every day, the industry says sustainability is their overall strategy. They feel that the consumer demands such a system. They must maintain this system to be successful. Toshiba says, ” We need a sustainable world where people can keep buying products and living well and we can keep making products.”.
CSE showcased energy efficient tools and alternative energy devices. These included solar charges for charging gadgets on the go. Also home fuel cells and wind-powered devices. Another area was “smart plugs” that eliminate stand by power drawn from home electronics when they are not in use.
Home energy efficiency was a big theme. These tools help users to conserve energy and allow them to control electronics through a central console or a smartphone over the internet.
The size of the potential market was best described by Don Bartell, senior director of Motorola when he said, “Although there’s already an established market for eco-minded consumers, ever increasing energy prices make energy efficiency tools appealing to a much broader audience.“
Today, these huge companies have discovered the market potential of sustainability- Is this real?
U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) a multi- agency research effort set up under the George W. Bush administration, produced ” Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States” ( available at www.globalchange.gov) , a document that provides sobering projections about specific impacts for different regions of the country. The impacts in the U.S. of the “unequivocal” global warming that is occurring, according to the report, will include higher temperatures in every region of our country, greater incidence of intense rainfall events in the Northeast, droughts in the West, rising sea levels that will inundate roadways and ports along the Gulf Coast, increased crop pests and reduced crop production in the Midwest, and rising heat-related deaths in cities.
The bottom line is that we must redouble our efforts to mitigate (prevent or slow) climate change, but at he same time create buildings and communities that can adapt to a changing climate. The USGCRP report suggest an increase in temperature by the end of this century, if we mitigate global warning , of 4 to 6.5 degrees. If we do not, from 7 to 11 degrees.
Here is a sample of the USGCRP recommendations.
Our buildings will experience higher temperatures than most present energy modeling predicts, and they should be able to function well in those conditions. Incorporate more robust cooling-load -avoidance strategies into buildings. For example limit glazing areas, particularly on the east and west facades; increase insulation levels; landscape areas to provide vegetative shading; and specify only efficient lighting, appliances, and office equipment to limit internal gain.
Include in buildings devices that incorporate passive survivability by designing for power outages. These devices aid in designing buildings that will maintain livable conditions in the event of a power outages, which are likely to be more common with climate change. Strategies include high insulation levels, high performance glazing, cooling load avoidance measures, natural ventilation, daylighting, and renewable energy systems. Raise the cooling design temperature when modeling buildings and sizing mechanical equipment.
The raising temperature levels means designing for more intense storms and rising sea levels. This will mean increased storm water capacity
Do not put your head in the sand- George W. said it’s coming! scary!
Ironic isn’t it. We must not forget the history of the last decade in order not to repeat it! American’s have moved on to other issues mostly economic and least we forget the deregulation of pollution and environmental laws, not to mention the elimination of the law which provided that the 8 worst coal burning power plants be replaced. Our country fell apart in the last decade and we as a nation must examine why? Agree on it, admit it, morn over it then learn from it! Then and only then can we grasp as a society what to do moving forward!
Comment by dan — January 18, 2010 @ 9:58 am