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Just when I mentioned the Chevron's contribution (of problems) to the environment. Here is another good article describing the oil companies backing off....
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/CompanyFocus/OilGiantBacksOffGreenPush.aspx
This is the last year's meeting coverage of "Big Oil" Chevron and describes what "Green" means to Chevron.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2007/04/25/EDGEBOS8S91.DTL
From rice in Peru to miso in Japan, food prices are rising all over the world. I wonder if this is due to food competing with gasolene.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23781864/
Today onwards, I will be posting a green article everyday on this site. It will mostly be an article of environmental concern which may or may not be linked to human activity. Today's article is about the polar ice caps :
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23695810/wid/18298287/
Impressed by Letterman's Top 10 lists for gaining popularity, I thought I will come up with my top 10 list of myths about being green. The basis of this list is really just my knowledge and I invite comments from the readers -
10. My car is electric and hence, it is a green vehicle with no emissions - and where did the electricity come from? Not counting the distribution losses in electricity making to your car from the power plant, a lot of coal was burnt, a number of fish were captured behind dams to get the electricity to you.
9. BP's flower logo and green corporate color makes it a green friendly company - you know why it made it to this list better than I do.
8. I drive a Prius, this is best green car to drive - There is no car green enough. Think about the stone age (yes! those bull carts and bikes) for perfect green transportation means. If you are driving a Prius, it is mainly to satisfy your guilt emerging from the shallow knowledge of environment. Think about the lead in the batteries for an answer.
7. Today is St. Patricks Day, so , it is a polution free day - Of course, if you think everything painted green is environment friendly, you are the type most influenced by green car and big oil ads.
6. Coal Companies, Big Oil and Utility companies are the ones causing the environmental damage - NO it is not them, it is us! They are doing business as usual and managing their profits. You are one buying their stuff and asking for more.
5. I am a green friendly guy, I shouldn't worry about the oceans since they are blue - No comments.
4. Ethanol is the answer to America's green problems - Ethanol takes more energy and emissions to produce. Again, this is an example of fuel that helps you get rid of the guilt from shallow knowledge. This is a reason why our bread prices are going up.
3. I bought Solar Panels, so I am perfectly green - Why do they charge thousands of dollars for the cells ? The production is expensive and it takes fuel to produce those fancy looking greenators. No wonder, most of them never recover their cost in their lifetime. An advantage of buying the ones made in countries across the globe is that it pollutes their air and keeps ours green. But then there are Trade winds.
2. I live in Washington state, so my life is automatically very green - Sure enough, wait until a few years.
1. Let me drive my private Jet, you guys work on the green stuff - You get to live only once
As I said, reader comments are most welcome. I would like more ideas here.
I also liked this article though I believe that it has been edited to not make certain people unhappy.
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/energy-environment-2007/environmental_myths_a1.asp
One day I decided to look at the world from the green lens, the one of the kind lens that makes your perspective environment friendly. The feeling of being green did not sink in until I passed Chevron HQ on my way to a friends place. Suddenly the red and blue in Chevron's logo appeared black and black to me. And at that moment, I realized that it was not Chevron but my car itself that was the source of the problem. The next thought was that it is not really my car but my need for convenient transportation. My 8 year old Jetta would give me only 22 miles for a gallon of premium fuel while adding to the environment woes. Prius buyers would argue that it is the ultimate environment friendly, activist friendly vehicle. It goes over 50 miles for the same amount of fuel and also, provides a convenient transport. But with all the lead going in those batteries and thus making it to oceans and landfills for disposal, is it a really green vehicle?
Given this, I wonder if the Corporate hoopla about going Green is a mere way to introduce a new line of products painted Green and invisible through the short sighted Green lens. These products may sound environment friendly but they are actually merely less destructive to environment operationally.So much has green become an activist friendly term that companies are running funds to invest in green technologies. Since using green products is now a fashion statement, it has become a marketing ploy for the big businesses. It sounds hypocrytic when Chevron, BP, Ford and Toyota are the ones that talk green. Its like a cat talking the about how many mice it spared today. An example of how attractive the green is to the money managers is here : http://quicktake.morningstar.com/FundNet/Snapshot.aspx?Country=USA&Symbol=PORTX
Green Technology, the word itself, is more of an oximoron. Isn't Industrialization fueled by Technology the first thing that killed environment?
But as one of the 6 billion people on this planet, what is the best way to save the planet. Do nothing is not the answer. The answer lies in conservation. Conservation is the best green way. There is no technology that is perfectly green. If I did not drive my car one day, it may save not only the environmental emissions, it will also save the energy needed in the food chain of producing the Technology. Many times, the technology is not the best way to solve the problem. Aren't the problems with environment created by Technology in first place? I believe it is the way we go about things that will make the most difference.
