Since the editor has determined that May is a green month for IWR, it seems only fitting to report from the recent Cleantech conference put on by Library House. This is an organisation that tracks the development of European startups from their first faltering steps to merger/acquisition or initial public offering.
Here are just a few of the themes that emerged from the conference:
Businesses not governments are where to look for meaningful innovation and activity.
Having said that, governments can play a 'shaping' role in encouraging action through grants, although these can distort the working of the marketplace. Most speakers tended to regard governmental activity as a bit of a side show.
But governments could, for example, create feed-in laws to encourage the creation of electricity from renewable sources through payment of a favourable tariff to the providers. And, if they start high and say the rate will drop over time, this will encourage individuals and organisations to get involved early.
Of course, some companies distort markets too. Look at the issue of using arable land to grow fuel. This is why the price of tortillas are rising in Mexico. There's a real danger that poor people will starve so that rich people can drive big cars.
Abu Dhabi is going to see the creation of an astonishing city. It looks like a silicon chip, with a large area set aside for a photovoltaic energy farm. Check it out. It's called the Masdar zone.
Ten billion power adaptors hum away, generating heat at between 20 and 60 percent efficiency. 15 billion batteries a year are being thrown away. A DC circuit in the home would save a ton of energy. And it could be fed through the lighting circuit.Beautiful windmills and elegant solar panels, all viable today and heading to your home within a few years are all going to help. Design is a vital element in user acceptability. So is price, of course. It's early days but prices will fall as production ramps.
There's more, of course, and as an information professional you'll be expected to know where to find it.
To get you started here are some links which have survived the last few months in my 'Cleantech' RSS feed group:
The Lazy Environmentalist blog
Then I have a couple of standard Google Blog Search feeds:
"carbon trust" -"low carbon trust"
As you build your own reading lists, how about providing links as comments to this blog. It would be a great legacy for IWR's green month.
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