The future of motoring?

A video report from the BBC today showcases the first hydrogen-powered car to be made commercially available - although not, so far, in the UK. The Honda Clarity is powered by an electric motor, which is charged by a fuel cell stack that converts the hydrogen to electricity and water. Its range is over 200 miles.

The catch, of course, is the lack of a hydrogen filling station network, but Honda has addressed this by developing a solar-powered hydrogen generation station suitable for domestic installation. It is designed to use grid electricity overnight to create 0.5kg of hydrogen, then return the energy to the grid from its solar panels during the day. The hydrogen generated in 8 hours is only sufficient for 30-35 miles, however.

Green Curtains

The simplest ideas are often the best, and this one is beautifully simple. Kyocera Group has planted "green curtains" around 20 of its facilities on three continents. Fruit-bearing plants are grown up temporary nets or trellises to shade walls and windows from the sun, reducing direct solar gain through the windows and thermal transfer through the walls. The green, leafy shade is attractive for its workers to look out on - plus they get the enjoy the fruit and vegetables grown by the curtains in the staff canteen.

The company even publishes a "how to" guide on its website for other businesses that want to emulate it.

The green curtains are comprised of cucumbers, peas and a bitter gourd called goya, and cover 32,750 square feet (3,043 square metres). Kyocera has calculated that they decrease the temperature of walls by as much as 15 degrees C (27 degrees F). At the same time, the green curtains absorb an estimated 23,481 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to the effect of 761 cedar trees.

Kyocera has a longstanding reputation for environmentally-responsible business and also operates a "cool biz" dress code in the summer to help staff stay comfortable without resorting to air conditioning. And it's also in the process of installing the solar PV panels it manufactures on more of its premises. By March 2011, the company expects to have solar power installed at all of its 10 manufacturing sites in Japan plus 20 sites globally. These include a 214-kW solar power generating system at its global headquarters in Kyoto, and a solar grove in the car park of Kyocera’s San Diego facility, which also shades cars from the sun.

The new projects will boost Kyocera's total solar output from its own installations to 1,815kW, which combined with the offset provided by its green curtain, will help to reduce the company's CO2 emissions.

(Declaration of interest - writer is employed by a Kyocera Group company in the UK)

Proof that Feed-In Tariffs make solar viable

I was alerted by the excellent Money Saving Expert to an offer whereby companies are offering to install solar PV panels for free in return for collecting the Feed In Tariff payments on behalf of the property owner - who still gets to benefit from the resulting energy savings. If companies are prepared to make this kind of offer, they must be pretty sure that they can recover their investment within a reasonable period, AND make a profit. Therefore, it looks like solar PV has finally become a financially viable option for UK homeowners.

I don't know enough about either of these companies to recommend them, but you can find out more from Isis Solar or A Shade Greener. There's a useful summary of the Feed in Tariffs on the Ofgem website, and you should only use a supplier certified by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme.

Unlike the previous green energy grants scheme, the Feed-In Tariffs provide a guaranteed index-linked income for 25 years, as long as they remain the owner of the property. Companies and individuals that install microgeneration systems receive payment for all electricity generated, even that which they use themselves, although energy exported to the national grid earns a much higher rate. Full details of all energy saving grants available can be found at the Energy Saving Trust.

Tea-conomics

I've just bought 80 fairtrade teabags for 28p - Sainsbury's Basics range. So, how does that work then? If you can sell fairtrade tea for 28p - including the cost of processing, packaging, shipping etc. - just how much does the grower get for fairtrade tea? It doesn't seem like nearly enough. Do all fairtrade brands pay their growers the same, or is some fairtrade fairer than others? And if they all pay the same, how do some brands justify charging 10 times as much or even more?

Rotten to the core?

Despite ranking a creditable 5th in Greenpeace's Greener Electronics guide, Apple fares less well on ethical use of labour. Those paying premium prices for the new iPad might be dismayed to learn that it is built by workers in a military-style factory in China, which is now in the spotlight for its high suicide rate among workers.

300,000 people work at the Foxconn factory, where they are forbidden to talk on the production line, even during breaks; many have complained of feeling lonely and alienated. These conditions, combined with massive demand for products like the 2M-selling iPad, appears to have placed an intolerable strain on workers, who are quitting the Longhua factory at the rate of 15,000 a month.

Workers have routinely worked more than 70 hours a week to fulfill orders. However, Apple maintains that Foxconn, which is one of Apple's primary suppliers, is not a sweatshop. Nevertheless, Foxconn has just agreed to immediately raise the basic salaries of its workers by a third, from £90 per month to £120.

You can read more on this story here, and from a marketing viewpoint here.

Earth Day, 22nd April 2010

For Earth Day 2010, we're being encouraged to join a Billion Acts of Green, by pledging an action to reduce our environmental impact. The timing is poignant given that the European airlines have been grounded for most of the last week due to a natural disaster. A timely reminder that we have no control over the forces of nature, and perhaps it will stop us from taking air travel so much for granted in the future.

Walk to Work Week

Walk to Work Week runs from 26th to 30th April, a project of Living Streets. The theme for this year's event is 'Get fit without the hassle. Try walking to, from or during work.' They have set 5 challenges for employees:

1.Try walking all or part of the way to work

2.Try walking all or part of the way home from work

3.Hold a walking meeting

4.Walk all or part of the way to a meeting

5.Take a walk during your lunch break

An online tool will enable workplace organisers to track the impact of the Week, and will also allow individual employees to track their own progress. Prizes will be available both to partcipating employees and workplaces.

There are a number of free resources to help workplace organisers promote the Week and get their colleagues involved both leading up to and during the event.