Talk of Sustainability Was Everywhere at Consumer Electronics Show

Walking the halls of the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, it wasn't difficult to find companies making green claims. Along with 3D televisions, 3D cameras and 3D content, words like "sustainable", "efficient" and "green" were everywhere.

From energy efficiency to waste reduction to alternative energy, it’s clear that consumer electronics manufacturers want buyers and consumers to know that sustainability is an important part of their DNA. In fact, the Consumer Electronics Association worked with Nextera Energy to buy renewable energy credits to offset the conference with its 120,000 plus attendees. They also put together panels a track on technology and the environment with topics like e-waste recycling.

Perhaps some of these “green” claims from the participants are a bit exaggerated, like Smoking Everywhere Electronic Cigarettes self-identifying as a green product. However, it is clear that the electronics industry sees that there is value in sustainability.

The technology industry has almost always seen the connection between profit and solving human problems, or at least giving the people what they want. In fact, this is the message at the center of Microsoft’s current “Windows 7 Was My Idea” ad campaign. One of the things the people wanted out of Windows 7 was less waste, and Microsoft delivered by providing 30% greater energy efficiency.

There is an argument to be made — and a strong one — that the technology industry thrives on a wasteful push to constantly be replacing last year’s model.

Just bought a new HD, flat screen? Time to upgrade to HD 3D (and even I can admit that the demo with sports and nature shows in 3D was pretty cool). The consumer part can feel overwhelming, even to non-conservationists. But at the same time, there is a push to develop more efficient and effective technologies. And an understanding that it is, in fact, what the people want.

I spoke to Daniel Kessler of Greenpeace about this. The organization had a booth there promoting its just released 14th quarterly Guide to Greener Electronics.

“IT is 2% of global emissions,” he told me, “but it can produce technology for 15% reductions in global emissions in a very economical way.”

Greenpeace is hoping that by promoting those companies that are reducing their own footprint — and penalizing those that are not — it can influence how quickly that happens.

“At this point, it’s not a question of phasing out toxic chemicals, for example,” Kessler said, “but a question of when — the speed with which they will do it.”

Kessler points to the Greenpeace campaign against Apple as an example of the impact organizations and consumers can make. “Two years ago, we campaigned against Apple and now they have the greenest notebooks on the market,” Kessler says. And Hewlett Packard, a recent nemesis of Greenpeace, just put out the industry's first PC that is wall-to-mouse toxic-free, Kessler informed me. “When Hewlett Packard doesn’t meet its commitments, we make sure the world knows. And when they do the right thing, we pat them on the back.”

But these aren’t the only companies doing the right thing, or making technology advances that impact emissions and efficiency.

There was an entire section of e-book readers. These devices are becoming increasingly usable and, while I still love the smell and feel of paper, some of these e-book readers offer functionality that paper books don’t have, like easy search and portability of multiple volumes.

Big companies like Panasonic, LG, Samsung, Sony — the list could fill the page — all had sections in their displays on sustainability. For Samsung, that includes helping to green the Olympics; LG is into phone recycling; and Panasonic is developing stationary fuel cell technology.

Charging Up and Powering Down