Alternative mobility tops list of 2011 green trends

Luxury green vehicles and alternative mobility, such as peer-to-peer car-sharing, top the list of "Green Things to Watch in 2011," a new report from the global market research firm JWT.

"A lot of people have been wondering if the recession hurt the momentum of the green movement, but it is still very much alive," said Ann Mack, director of trend spotting for JWT, a New York firm that counts Ford Motor Co. and Microsoft among its clients.

More luxury green vehicles will enter the marketplace, following a trail blazed by San Francisco electric sports-car maker Tesla, the report said. Mercedes-Benz and Bentley will each offer top-of-the-line vehicles with smaller engines next year, and Porsche and BMW will further their plans for plug-in hybrids.

Car-sharing will also become more prevalent, due "to an increasingly urbanized congested world with an aging population," Mack said. In addition to established firms such as ZipCar, the auto manufacturers themselves will begin to offer car-sharing, as will individuals through peer-to-peer share programs such as the San Francisco start-up Spride.

Government will also help shape the green landscape in 2011. Next summer, the Federal Trade Commission is expected to issue new Green Guides to stop manufacturers from making false green claims. And the United Nations has designated 2011 as the International Year of Forests, which will help raise awareness of worldwide deforestation, the report said.

Consumers will become increasingly interested in reducing energy consumption and will have access to new consumer products designed to help monitor their home energy use, including home energy monitors and smart meters. Self-powered devices, which employ microchips powered by small temperature changes and require no battery or outside power source, will aid in cutting power consumption, according to the report.

 -- Susan Carpenter

Photo: Sumatran palm oil plantation. Credit: Ulet Ifansasti / Getty Images

Comments

[CMac]

Andrew B is correct. People will not live next door to the office, for a whole variety of reasons - therefore they will drive.

Here in the UK, trains are often overcrowded (especially rush hour trains), they are wet when it rains, hot in summer, and cold when it's chilly outside. Buses have next to no luggage space, are often slow/cold/hot, so (unless they are a dedicated service such as "from train station to airport") they are only used by lower-income individuals - which is enough to prevent another section of the public from using them.

So people WILL drive until the roads get as slow as the buses, or the trains get more roomy. Given that train companies are not planning any non-detrimental changes, that leaves slow roads. Already, the rush hour extends from 6am-10am and 4pm-7pm, so the solution is to drive outside those times unless you can't help it. But even that strategy falls flat when you have a bit of snow or a road traffic collision.

A better solution IMHO, is to consider MUCH more working from home. I can sit here and converse with anyone worldwide, via phone, email, IM and even talk face to face via Skype (or similar). Why should I commute 2 hours to sit in front of a PC, when there is one I can walk to and work from in 2 minutes?

I don't get lonely, I enjoy the peace and quiet and I am more productive than colleagues who chew the fat every morning. I have more freedom to take a break/lunch when I want and I can even re-route my desk phone to my mobile if I go for a walk. So, with my solar panels on the roof, my low-CO2 small car and rarely having to go to the office, I guess I'd come out greener than most - even those who use transit. So, it's a major lifestyle change, but it's a good one and easy to implement. I commend it to you.

[Ironica]

What we really need is to internalize the true costs of transportation. Gas taxes and registration fees don't cut it; our transportation infrastructure is still heavily subsidized from general funds, not to mention the costs of traffic law enforcement, injuries, and the damage done by pollution.

We can't do it exclusively with the price of gas, either; cars will continue to become more fuel efficient, which is commendable, but that doesn't obliterate the external costs of transportation... even if your car runs on sunlight and air, it causes wear and tear to the roads, and it can kill a person if you handle it wrong.

When people pay the true cost for every mile they drive, then we'll see some pretty dramatic changes in choices around transportation.

[Andrew B.]

@Melroser: Your efforts to live green are commendable, and I also cannot stand the idea of living in a cookie-cutter suburb. However, rather than trying to get folks to make major lifestyle changes, we should focus on availing people of tools and technology to enable them to live much greener without big sacrifices. Yes, I live in the mountains, steps from great hiking/biking/skiing trails, drive a Prius, and try to be environmentally conscious. But the environment is not my god. Living and working up here, and enjoying the splendor of God's creation, is worth a great deal to me. Perhaps in the coming years I'll install solar panels and buy an electric car. But move to LA? No way!

[Madi]

Check out zimride.com for ride sharing - it works thru facebook so you know with whom you're riding before you decide to go. Terrific site!

[Melroser]

This is one of many articles that misses the point about being environmentally-conscious and "green." What's really green is to walk, bike, and take transit - and to live in a home where you can walk, bike, and take transit to things you need. Choosing to live in a remote suburban area where you are a slave to your car is not "green," even if you drive a Prius. That's like putting a Band-aid on a gushing wound.

People can live however they want - but if you choose to live in a place where you are completely dependent on your car, and unable to do anything without driving alone in and out of your suburban bubble, then you are not "living green."

[Michael Copeland]

I am happy to hear car-sharing is increasing in popularity. In 2007 a Missoula, Montana non-profit launched a truck-share program with a donated Nissan pickup. Five dollars an hour the renter has a truck to transport items that won't fit in a car or on a motorcycle.
Thanks for the story Susan.

Michael Copeland
Missoula, Montana