Save the Planet and Make Money Too. The Green Capitalist looks at the growing market for green solutions,sifting through the hype and bad science,looking for investment opportunities. It also may stray off-topic. But there is big money to be made and it may be payback time for Old Hippies who so nearly got it right.
Monday 7 July 2008
Scientist Warns Plasma And LCD Televisions Could Be Destroying Our Environment
Scientist Warns Plasma And LCD Televisions Could Be Destroying Our Environment
We tend to think our technology must be more efficient than the old; after all, when we are all aware that even the most despised energy
company is running ads to show how green it is, it seems a no-brainer that the
newer must be more planet-friendly, right?
Wrong. Our new plasma and LCD TVs not only are super-slim, sexy and desirable, taking up less space in theliving room, but they also use far more electricity than the old-fashioned cathode tube running in the corner.
Funnily enough this is never mentioned by the ads or the keen salesmen. I had to ask twice before
finally insisting on being shown that useful little plate on the back.
So when I saw the headline of this article from Tom's Hardware I was expecting some scientist to simply confirm what I already knew. And I was wrong,again. I was quite stunned to read this report which claims that a gas used in the production of our new toys,nitrogen trifluoride,(NF3),
is 17000 times more damaging than our current big baddie, CO2
The Green Capitalist reckons his 2002 Philips will live a while longer in the corner of my living room. Not only for environmental reasons either.
Having paid £600 for the TV changing it now would mean it cost me £100 per annum, and
admittedly,if I sell it on eBay I might get some cash back. Ploughing the proceeds back into
buying a flash new thin telly guaranteed to push my electricity bill even higher before my CRT
snuffs it doesn't seem to make sense. Besides, I have a 20" LCD screen on my PC.
This news may well slow the advance in market share of the LCD and Plasma TV. I doubt for
long, though, because I'm sure the producers will rapidly find a less harmful production method.
So what has this to do with Green investing? It all depends on how rigid you are as an investor.
Some of you may wish to avoid the makers for a while, others not.
Labels:
ecology,
environmental investment,
lcd,
plasma,
televisions
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2 comments:
Great post related to green investing
I want to add that another way to look at this is that when we invest in a company, we share in the responsibility for the activities of that company as well as participate in the outcomes of its corporate activities. Anyone valuing their personal or spiritual growth has to take this into account when investing.
I do believe though that if everyone does invest according to their personal values, then, since so many of core values are alike -- and are supportive of higher ideals -- that in the long run, only companies employing these higher values will truly prosper.
I've been following ethical investing for about forty years. For anyone interested I have a site that covers the latest global news and research on the subject. It's at www.investingforthesoul.com
Best wishes, Ron Robins
Thanks for the kind words,Ron. I agree that when we buy shares we buy part of the company, and that makes us part-owners. This is why I try to avoid defence and tobacco stocks.
Do drop by again, and your own site fives much food for thought.
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