RENEWABLOG

Some Green debates are over. Let new ones begin.

Lost in all of the Holiday Shopping, Nintendo Wii, Presidential Race, family-visiting hoopla that is that the past few weeks have brought news that clarifies a couple of long-standing green debates.

Debate #1 -- Are humans having a significant impact on climate change? Up until mid-November some would say yes and others would try to point to the cyclical nature of the Earth in terms of warming and cooling. Well, the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report effectively ends the debate.

The PR impact for green companies: This is a huge PR win for anyone marketing a green initiative, as it will continue to move public opinion toward the conclusion that further green research, investment and adoption is needed. That's not to say that I believe that the findings of the report will cause an immediate spring to action and this post from Earth2Tech proves I am not alone. In any event, surveys and statistics are invaluable in PR and renewable energy and green companies have new report data to help hammer home their point in communications.

Debate #2 -- What is the driving reason behind companies adopting green practices? Marketing spin? Idealism? ROI? As long as they are real, does it matter? Up until recently, many would have said green initiatives were marketing ploys as environmental considerations become a primary purchasing decision for more and more consumers. Today? More and more organizations are coming out and discussing the ROI of going green, with solar being being one of the major beneficiaries. HP recently announced a 1- megawatt array in San Diego that will save the company $750,000 over 15 years. The company also announced that it would match rebates from their solar provider for employees that want to purchase panels for home use.

PR Impact: The long-time knock and FUD on green technologies, such as solar, is that the payoff takes much too long. Well, that payoff time is shortening thanks to advances in technology. Plus, if government incentives increase to levels close to those found in some European countries, the ROI will become the dominant reason for many many businesses making changes. HP and Google are still exceptions, but if there are economic incentives on top of ecological and marketing benefits, they will soon become the rule.