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Filed under: Lotus, Tesla Motors, AutoblogGreen Exclusive

Here at AutoblogGreen, we like to give certain companies the benefit of the doubt; companies who aspire to go green in the automotive sector. This is a big reason why we love Tesla Motors and what they are attempting. They are taking on the establishment, and doing so with a beautiful roadster at that. Who wouldn’t love to see them succeed? But, let’s not overlook the monumental task that we are considering. Start-up companies have tried many times to break into the automotive sector; do I really need to name names? All right… De Lorean and Tucker come right to mind. John DeLorean was already a member of the established industry when he failed. Preston Tucker had lots of great ideas when he failed. Good ideas and good connections do not guarantee success, obviously. Now… don’t worry, I’m not gonna go all TTAC on you or anything. The following views presented are not necessarily my or AutoblogGreen’s opinions. We are just going to consider a few points that could make or break Tesla Motors. We will continue on with other companies with similar aspirations in due time. Here we go!

Here are the points that I will be touching on in this article: Batteries, Lotus and business models.

Read on, green car lovers, green car haters and green car conspiracy theorists, after the break.

1. Batteries. Let’s get this out of the way right off the bat: Tesla is using laptop batteries. Lithium ion laptop batteries. Is this a bad thing? Let’s consider it… Do you own a laptop? I do… three of them in fact (I’m an IT guy in another life). I’ve noticed something about the batteries in all of my laptops: They wear out. Worse: They are expensive to replace. Let’s continue… I’ve never gotten one to explode, but they sure do get hot. Are they really what I want in my car to get me from here to there? Nope. At least not the ones in my own laptops – I don’t trust them. Now, granted, Tesla has gone to great lengths to cool their batteries and provide them with sophisticated battery management controls and electronics. Doesn’t that comfort you? No? My Toshiba laptop has Microsoft and Toshiba software on it that is supposed to extend the life of the battery too, and it also has internal circuitry to make sure that it is being treated right. But, Tesla has put their batteries through all sorts of tests to be sure that they work properly, and they have gone through life cycles over and over. Didn’t my laptop maker do the same? Yes, they did, and so did Sony before they released and recalled their exploding batteries into, and subsequently from, the market. Tests are not the real life, and nobody has any good real-life experience with making laptop batteries work in a car. Does that mean they won’t work? Of course not. Is it a real cause for concern? You betcha. They have already had to adjust their initial figures once, will they again, and will they be safe?

2. Lotus. Hey, I love Lotus. Their cars are awesome, I would love an Elise of my very own. But, is Lotus the best company in the world to be closely reliant upon? Perhaps not. Lotus has survived all these years despite numerous different owners. Sometimes they do very well, sometimes not so much. They certainly can engineer great things, and that is why many companies turn to them for help. How many companies can they support? Will they always be there to supply engineering assistance and very large assemblies to Tesla? I hope so, but I also believe that relying on them might prove to be a shaky prospect.

3. Business models. Do I have internal access to the Tesla board room? Not even close! But, very large sums of money have already been invested in Tesla Motors. How much more is there? How much more will be necessary before they turn a profit? Will they go public? If they do, how long of a leash will be available to them before investors want to see some return on their investments? These types of things have come back to haunt start-up companies many times in the past. Is an automotive company any different? I guess we’ll see, right? While we are on the subject of money, do you recall the Ford rollover cases? How about the exploding gas tanks of the ’70s and ’80s? How about the numerous recalls from Toyota over the last few years? What am I getting at? Tesla has yet to put a product into a consumers hands, but when they do, they will be liable for them. Liability has brought down its fair share of companies in the past. So has some bad press. All it might take is one scandal to bring them down.

We have already discussed the fact that it takes a lot of money to start an automaker. Tesla has ambitious plans; after their Roadster, they plan on an upscale electric sedan, codenamed “Whitestar” which should sell for well less than their Roadster. After that, they plan on an even cheaper model. Where will the money come from? Roadster sales? Their possible IPO? Would that be good or bad for them?

Alright, put a fork in this post, it’s done. Did you notice that I asked alot of questions? There is a reason for that. There are alot of question that need to be answered. I don’t have the answers, both because I am not an expert on much that I have written about here and the fact that I have never started a company at all, let alone one that plans to market an automobile – and not just any automobile, one that is completely different than all the others on the road. None of what was written in this post means that Tesla will fail in their quest for automotive sales. Are you worried? Should you be?

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, AutoblogGreen Exclusive

I was clicking around the U.S. federal government’s fuel economy website yesterday, trying to see how the government rates vehicles that run on pure electricity. Even though there are many new EVs you can buy today (see this list), the most recent vehicle on the Fueleconomy.gov site is the 2003 Toyota RAV4 EV. Other vehicles included are the Ford Explorer USPS Electric, the Nissan Hyper-Mini, the Ford Th!nk and the Nissan Altra EV, all of which were available between 2000 and 2002. Vehicles like the Tesla Roadster and Phoenix SUT will be added to the list sometime this year, I’m guessing, but for now, it’s a bit of a ghost town over there.

[Source: Fueleconomy.gov]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Get Naked! This is the first in a series of posts that will explore the stated principles of Fair Trade and the requirements for certification.

The first of the major components of fair trade we will look at is transparency. In order to obtain Fair Trade certification, the producer must, among other requirements, be “organized into cooperatives or associations that are transparent, accountable and democratic.” IFAT defines transparency and accountability as “transparent management and commercial relations to deal fairly and respectfully with trading partners.” Transparency appeals to me as a consumer. If you need to cover your operations you have something to hide, right?

Wired magazine agrees that transparency has high potential commercial value. Wired used a very literal take on transparency in the March 2007 issue with their lead article “Get Naked and Rule the World” featuring a transparent cover that pulls away to reveal a naked Jenna Fisher from The Office… along with a strategically placed sign. While it is the image that garnered a lot of attention, it is the article that is truly controversial. It features a series of stories about "radical transparency, our notion that the next model of business success is laying your company bare to the world—sharing secrets with your rivals, blogging about ideas as you have them, and copping to fumbles and foibles as you make them.”

Sharing secrets (gasp), owning up to mistakes (no!), utter madness! What could possibly come from such openness? Perhaps consumer trust? Maybe innovation and advancement? Perhaps even ethical business?

The requirement that producer cooperatives be transparent and accountable has proven to benefit the Fair Trade movement greatly by establishing trust amongst members of the cooperatives and providing a means to account for the spending of Fair Trade social premiums, which are to be used only for community development purposes. One of Fair Trade's major shortcomings is that this requirement is not extended to the purveyors of the products in Western markets. Many Fair Trade retailers and wholesalers have chosen to emulate the transparent cooperative model (perhaps the best example is coffee roaster Equal Exchange), and all retailers and wholesalers who are members of the Fair Trade Federation are commited to transparency. However, since transparency is not strictly required, large retailers that offer Fair Trade certified goods are not living up to the same standard required of the producers of those goods. JustThings.info has a good example of this failing:

While 100% fair-trade roasters like Just Coffee are proud to post their producer contracts on their website and share solidarity stories of the relationships they’ve developed with communities from Chiapas to Ethiopia over the years, this is not the case for a player like Starbucks. Instead, one hears tales of price gouging, corruption, insider trading, racketeering, ghost buyers – all the worst hallmarks of corporate capitalism.

All of this is to say that despite the many successes of the Fair Trade movement, until it requires the same standard of transparency and accountability from retailers that is required of producers, the burden of holding all companies accountable still rests squarely on the shoulders of the consumer. There are plenty of retailers and wholesalers from which to choose that do meet this standard. As Fair Trade has moved into the mainstream, popping up everywhere from McDonalds to Wal-Mart, there is great oportunity for such companies to take advantage of the marketing edge available through the Fair Trade label without committing to the true purposes of the movement. Should these companies be forbidden from selling fair trade? Perhaps not, as we can seize this opportunity to get a foot in the door and demand that these companies commit 100% to the ideals and criteria of fair trade, transparency included. I want to see every business standing naked and proud before the world, their fair and just business practices stripped bare for the entire world to see and respect.

Jumpcut , an internet video platform, asked their users "If you had just two minutes to show someone what to see, feel and imagine about the future of our world and its resources, what would you do? " The contest is closed and the winner of the $1,000 Grand Prize is … oops!

 

 

“Oops!,” directed by Travis Darcy, is the Grand Prize winner and winner of the Audience Vote of the SFIFF50 GreenWorld Contest. Oops-there goes the world. Besides being a filmmaker, I am also a mom and a teacher. I wanted to make this crucial topic accessible to all ages. Humor is a great teaching tool.

Also worth watching are these:

Link: Green World Video Contest

Random Good Stuff

Many families make the choice to live a greener life when their first child is born. The addition of this pure being into the world causes parents to reevaluate their lifestyle choices, in terms of the impact it will have on the new child and the world in which the child will inhabit. Instincts to protect their offspring motivate parents to move towards organic foods and natural beauty products.

For a newborn, breastfed baby, some of the first toxins that enter his or her body with will notPhoto by David Hofmann be from the food he or she eats, but from the products applied to his or her skin. The skin is considered the "largest organ in the body", and infants under six months old skin is very sensitive. The natural baby beauty product market has grown and expanded recently, along with the organic baby food industry. The following our five natural beauty products for babies based on my family and friend's experiences raising our babes. These products are recommended based on value and quality, as all of the items are cruelty-free.

1. Weleda Calendula Diaper Care Cream: If your child gets a bad diaper rash, this is the natural product you want to use. It relieves and heals the rash fast! Some of the ingredients are zinc oxide, beeswax, biodynamic calendula flower extract, organic chamomile flower extract, lanolin, sweet almond oil, sesame seed oil, and water. A 2.8 ounce tube costs $10.00. Weleda's motto is "In harmony with nature and the human being.

2. Country Comfort Baby Cream: This salve is great for mild diaper rash and soothing chafed skin. If your child is prone to diaper rash, it can be applied at every changing as a barrier cream. Country Comfort Baby Cream is made of pure oils of safflower & hazelnut/pecan, beeswax, lanolin, avocado & apricot oils, chamomile, chickweed, comfrey, calendula, golden seal, St. John's Wort, myrrh gum, aloe vera, vitamin E. The only drawback to this salve is that some individuals may have reactions to the nut oils. A two ounce jar costs about $5.89.

3. Nature's Gate Kids Spf-30 Sunblock Lotion: With a gigglberry scent, a drawback for some, this sunscreen is water resistant and highly protective. Made with many natural ingredients such as certified organic lavender, echinacea, coffee, horsetail, St. John's Wort, rosemary, etc;, this product does contain ingredients that are difficult to pronounce. There are better sunscreen products for children available, but they usually cost twice as much and can be hard to find. Four ounces of Nature's Gate Kids Spf-30 sunscreen retails for $9.00. For 27 years, Nature's Gate has been developing personal care products based upon botanical remedies. It is recommended that children under six months old should not use sunscreen because of the possible risk of the absorption, metabolism and excretion of the ingredients. The American Academy of Pediatrics states, "in situations where the infant's skin is not protected adequately by clothing, it may be reasonable to apply sunscreen to small areas, such as the face and the back of the hands." It is best if prolonged sun exposure can be avoided for children under six months.

4. Tushies Wipes Unscented: The greenest solution to diaper changes is to use wash cloths and water to clean your child's bottom. This may be difficult away from home when diaper wipes are convenient. Many children have adverse reactions to diaper wipes that contain chemicals and citric acid. Tushies Wipes are gentle and alcohol free. The contain water, aloe vera, vegetable derived glycerin, allantoin, panthenol, vitamin E, tartaric acid, and potassium sorbate. A package of 80 wipes costs about $4.30. Tushies were created for sensitive skin babies and parents concerned about their babies; skin.

California Baby5. California Baby Calming Botanical Shampoo and Body Wash: This product does not contains sodium laureth sulfate (SLES). SLES is derived from coconuts and can be an skin irritant. SLES is the subject of an urban legend about shampoos causing cancer. Many natural companies, like Tom's of Maine, support their use of SLES, where as others, like Aubrey Organics, debates its safety. California Baby Calming Botanical Shampoo and Body Wash is available in a bulk size of 17.5 ounces (larger sizes are available) for $17.50. This product has even been reported to heal eczema and cradle crap! California Baby was created when the founder Jessica Iclisoy "went into full protective mom mode. Like all new moms, she wanted her baby to live in the safest environment possible, so when she discovered some of the questionable ingredients in many mainstream baby toiletry products, she sought healthy alternatives."

There are many great natural beauty companies not represented in his list, and there are probably better products out there. The discussion about diapers has been omitted here, but you can read about the benefits of cloth diapers on GNM Parents. Many of these product selections were based on local availablity, but as the market expands, so will accessibility to natural baby beauty products. Hopefully Green Options readers will leave comments about their favorite natural beauty products for children.

Photo Credit: recyclethis.co.ukThe search for opportunities for recycling stretches beyond individual desires to be able to recycle more, as Jennifer discussed earlier this week in our Q & A feature.

While Jennifer discussed some ways of increasing the amount of recycling that individual households participate in, there are websites that are engaging with the ideas of finding new uses for materials that will otherwise end up as waste adding to the volume in our landfills.

Sources of material with a potential to be recycled are posted and discussed at Superuse. "Superuse is an online community of designers, architects and everybody else who is interested in inventive ways of recycling."

Some of the entries are simply documenting materials that are in need of recycling, such as tires, container ship cargo bags (huge nylon bags with a capacity of more than a ton that are used to load materials on board cargo ships rather than using the ubiquitous shipping container), and discarded wind turbine blades (which are unusable for their primary purpose due to cracks).

Sometimes, recycling ideas are documented, as with the "Trashforma 04" project which took 166 stainless steel sinks and created a cubic volume 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) on a side for a beachside installation. This installation is as much about art as it is about a practical form of shelter, but it engages with the idea of transforamtive use.

Superuse encourages designers who are looking for creative applications where existing materials, that would otherwise add to the waste stream, become the raw materials for other products that extend their usefulness.

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At a more consumer level (but no less interesting), How Can I Recycle This? addresses questions about recycling consumer materials. Rather than dealing with industrial scale materials, the questions here tend to be more about ubiquitous household items and consumer goods. It's based in the UK, so some materials/uses may be a bit unfamiliar. The format is a very ordinary blog, with single issue entries addressing questions about how to recycle (or more often, to re-use) various unusual materials. Suggestions are found in the coments following each post.

The headline image for this article comes from a post with a question about reusing or recycling inflatable toys that have gone flat or gotten torn and are no longer workable toys. As a parent of two boys, I have already had a couple of inflatable pool toys that we have thrown away after they were punctured or torn. I'll watch this to see if someone comes up with a good suggestion on this one.

A more typical question asked "How can I reuse or recycle…an old wire waste paper bin?" and elicited suggestions including using it to collect recylable bottles, using it as a planter, using it as a sieve for rinsing root vegetables, as well as cleaning and repainting it.

Comments about these seem to come mostly from other users, rather than from designers, but the suggestions are no less creative or interesting.

Both sites are full of examples of the approaches people are taking to find more opportunities to re-use and recycle materials. Even packaging and"disposable" products can find new uses with some creativity. And these sites have plenty of creative solutions to offer and other opportunities awaiting discovery.

netCorps is accepting applications from Southeastern U.S. environmental organizations wishing to build their technology capacity.

According to netCorps’ Executive Director, Matthew Latterell, this project, supported by the Mott Foundation’s Conservation of Freshwater Ecosystems in North America program area, will provide selected organizations with comprehensive technology plans, assistance and funds to implement key technology priorities. Priority items funded in the past include websites, database, computers, servers and more.

Twenty organizations from across the Southeast have participated in this project since 2005. netCorp will be selecting up to ten more participating groups this time around.

“netCorps helps groups find funding and in-kind support, implement technology solutions appropriate to their mission, programs and organizational resources, and help groups with budgeting, training, support, consultant selection and all the other aspects of sustaining their technology investment.”

To obtain the application materials, send an email to techproject@netcorps.org and you will receive an automated reply with links to the application materials. Applications must be emailed or postmarked by June 8th, 2007 to be considered.

Go here to learn more information.