NY Times Article on U.S. Green Leadership

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/15/magazine/15green.t.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=magazine

There's an excellent article by Thomas Friedman that I highly recommend. He does a very nice job of discussing the importance of U.S. leadership on green issues. I heartily agree with his observation that investing in green technologies could be a tremendous boost to U.S. standing in the world while improving our economic fortunes at the same time.

Auto Execs Singing The Same Ol' Tune

More of the same from Detroit/President Bush today (sigh).

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/03/26/bush.automakers.ap/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Does it make you wonder why airplane companies don't make the same argument about increasing fuel economy that car companies make? Does anyone see airplane manufacturers going out of business because they make airplanes more fuel efficient? Alan Mullaly seems to have forgotten what he learned at Boeing.

US Auto Execs Blowing It

An article on MarketWatch highlights the US auto industry's continued reluctance to embrace higher fuel mileage standards. I believe this is the most short-sighted, ill-conceived policy imaginable. Ford and GM are getting run over by Toyota, and in a few years Tesla will join Toyota in making the domestic auto manufacturers look painfully obsolete. Detroit is denying fundamental shifts in energy costs, battery technology, and consumer buying habits. I also think they are on the wrong side of the political debate. They are wasting their political capital when they need all they can get to survive. Whether you buy into GE's "ecomagination" campaign or not, GE clearly realizes the business opportunity in cleantech. Detroit keeps getting behind ethanol, which we all know is a band-aid, not a real solution. Wake up Detroit - before it's too late!

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/us-auto-chiefs-cool-tougher/story.aspx?guid=%7B7617F8B0%2DE100%2D4685%2DA925%2D4FA19E3B0D0F%7D

Tesla Motors Blog

I read the Tesla Motors blog every week. This week's entry is very interesting, as it deals with how the mainstream media have been portraying EVs. I've posted a response, as I continue to be frustrated with the lack of information on the cost of Li-ion batteries. For EVs to reach the mainstream, battery cost has to come down. Will this happen through economies of scale? Who knows? Hopefully Tesla Motors will provide some answers.

http://www.teslamotors.com/blog1/index.php?p=53&js_enabled=1

Brief Thoughts on Cradle to Cradle

I've just finished reading Cradle to Cradle by William McDonough and Michael Braungart. This is a fascinating book that offers a very different approach to thinking about design and production of the things that all of us depend upon in modern society. The authors suggest new ways of designing and making products that are enviromentally and economically positive. I highly recommend the book.

Corn Hits Ten Year High

Corn hit almost $4.50 a bushel today. Soybeans are at their highest levels since 2004. Hey, but there's good news - the Fed says inflation isn't a problem. I went to an event where U.S. Bank economist John Mitchell spoke yesterday, and he called a chicken "corn that has been turned into meat." All the ethanol plants that are currently under construction are going to make trips to the grocery store more expensive. We need to keep trying to steer politicians away from ethanol and towards EV's powered by wind, solar, etc.

NY Times Article on Global Warming Economics

This is worth a read, but I wonder if there is something missing from the argument. Namely, how much more of the natural resources of the world should we continue to consume at the expense of future generations. I would argue that the moral imperative should outweigh the economic arguments. Furthermore, consumption does not have to linearly relate to economic growth. Sustainable business practices can yield economic growth and slow consumption patterns.

Here's the link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/21/business/21leonhardt.html?ex=1329714000&en=19a3fa1a7bf060b5&ei=5089&partner=rssyahoo&emc=rss