No Silver Bullet (Redux)

This week's stories reinforce a theme we have have discussed before and will come back to repeatedly in the coming months: The magnitiude and complexity of the global energy and climate challenge guarantees that we will not be saved by any one technology.

THERE IS NO SILVER BULLET!

Consider the roller coaster of conventional wisdom on biofuels, the subject of three of our stories. Are they "good"? Are they "bad"? The answer is, of course, "it depends." It depends on how they are produced, the available alternatives for a given purpose, how they are used, and the opportunities they create for further development and innovation in the future.

What is true for biofuels is true for other (partial) solutions as well. The only thing we can count on is the need to make our products and processes adaptable to multiple potential sources of power.

See our feature story on the growing investor interest in the climate change "dividend" -- a recognition that a transition to a low carbon economy has the power to transform the market. 

Eric Olson is vice president of advisory services at Business for Social Responsibility. 

This report examines the EPA's obligations under the Clean Air Act, and how far it should go to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

A close look at the historical relationship between energy prices and U.S. production and consumption of energy-intensive goods suggests that energy-intensive manufacturers are likely to face only modest “competitiveness” impacts under a U.S. greenhouse gas cap-and-trade program, according to this report.

Bringing green products to the mainstream requires a focus on aligning environmental innovation with affordability. But how are successful companies designing greener products with little or no price premium? Join us at Greener By Design 2009 to see who’s evolving, who’s thriving, and how they’re producing products that aren’t just greener, but better — and more affordable.