nil desperandum

Volvo is sexy

My favourite car brand of the moment is easily Volvo. I didn't realise just how cool it was until one drove past me the other day. Volvo is very now if you think about it. It's functional, it's design/engineering focused, it's got swedish roots and it's safe. The only bit that might rock the boat is that it may not immediately be considered as a green car (some might say who cares, that's its positioning!) but I care. That thought got me doing a bit of research and found this lovely car C30. Check out its minisite, it totally exceded all expectations. It's aesthetically very pleasing...particularly it's bottom.

On average it does 40mpg. It's as good as any other urban motor. In fact, I think it's rather sexy?

Top Chap

Today, I had tea with an extremely nice bloke called Simon Waldman. Simon is the Director of Digital Publishing of the Guardian Media Group. Simon has quite a plush office but he's not one who's afraid of getting muck in with the ol' Web 2.0. He showed me stuff like Devon Technologies which is a cool bit of kit to grab stuff of the tinternet and available for search, Google-style at a later stage.

Anyway, the chat I had wasn't so much about the Guardy - it was more about the web, how Simon sees the media landscape changing and his favourite businesses and restaurants.

I'll be in Paris this weekend. I'll try to get a connection and upload the interview. Here's a pic of this very lovely chap - and a loving husband and father I might add. Thank you Simon.

A Quiet Storm: the emergence of Eco Businesses

Springwise, the company that sends out thousands of trend spotters to find cool stuff has recently posted their Top 10 eco business ideas in 2006.

I'm going to start my first post of 2007 on an optimistic note. I think, in 2007, we will see more and more eco businesses (products/services) achieving mass market success. And my rationale for this is two folds:

Firstly, I think there is a heightened awareness of the pressing environmental issues we're facing. And this awareness, I would argue, is more mainstream than ever before thanks to the likes of An Inconvenient Truth and Planet Earth.

Secondly, I think the eco-business community has finally realised that the old business model relying solely on consumers' environmental goodwill is not enough. Businesses must provide real value to their consumers. The Toyota Prius is a hit because it's sort of like a normal car, it's cheaper to run and most importantly, it sends out a statement to the world - look how thoughtful and middleclass I am. That's the type of eco-business that will succeed; a business that aligns seamlessly the environmental, commercial and consumer needs. 

Anway, enough jibberish from me, here's Springwise's list:

1. Hailing a hybrid: The Toyota Prius, the world's most popular hybrid car, emits half as much carbon dioxide as a traditional black cab does. This made it an obvious choice for greentomatocars, an environmentally friendly cab service in London that was launched on 1 March 2006 and was founded by two young ex-City lawyers. Hybrid cars have an electrical engine that takes over from the petrol engine when the car is moving slowly, which eliminates toxic fumes and noise. More »
    
    
2. Consumer generated power: Until fairly recently, wind turbines were huge structures that were only available for commercial use in turbine parks or empty rural areas. No longer so. Consumers can now choose from various wind turbines for residential use. For GBP 25,000, consumers can purchase beautifully designed, 'elegant' wind power from Quiet Revolution. More »


3. Household recycling plant: When discussing insperiences (the trend of bringing professional grade products and services into the domestic domain), one thinks of plush home cinemas and chef-worthy kitchens. An indoor recycling plant doesn't immediately spring to mind. But that could change with the arrival of the Ecopod. Created in partnership with BMW DesignWorksUSA, Ecopod's E1 Series is a household recycling center that aims to change the way consumers take out their trash. More »


4. Green rentals: EV Rental Cars is the first US rental car company whose entire fleet consists of hybrid vehicles. The Los Angeles based firm doubled its fleet over the past two years, and now offers fuel-efficient wheels for rent in eight cities in the Western US through a partnership with Fox Rent A Car. More »


5. Eco-chic entrepreneurs: Two stylish opportunities from the world of sustainable fashion: ECOIST Known as the candy wrapper handbags, Ecoist's bags (USD 28-58) are made from misprinted or discontinued snack bags, soda labels and candy wrappers. A family business based in Miami, the company believes that consumers should be able to enjoy a modern lifestyle, buying their favourite things, while also doing good to the Earth. Material that would otherwise end up in landfills is folded into straps and woven into bags and clutches by Mexican artisans. More »


6. Innovative olive farmers: Following in the footsteps of vineyard sharing concepts like WineShare and St. Helena Winery's Adopt-A-Vine, Nudo lets customers adopt an olive tree. Founded by two former British television producers who decided to ditch the rat race for a farm in rural Italy, Nudo is an olive grove that offers trees for adoption. More »


7. Retail approach to recycling: Whether ignorant or just plain lazy, plenty of consumers and businesses don't make the effort to recycle electronics. Which is why Green Citizen's drop-off center and pick-up service are great concepts – they make it convenient for people to recycle unused electronic equipment. In their own words: "we want to make recycling electronics so easy that you’ll make it a part of your everyday routine." More »


8. Carbon offsets by sms: World Land Trust, which was founded in 1989 to preserve the world's most ecologically important and threatened lands, recently created a new way for concerned citizens to help the earth. The foundation now offers carbon offsets by sms/text message. Every time a consumer texts "WLT CARBON" to number 87050 (within the UK), World Land Trust will offset 140 kilograms of CO2 through its Carbon Balanced Program. More »


9. Zen approach to cleaning industry: Looking to stand out in a lackluster industry? Learn from ZENhome Cleaning! This Brooklyn based home cleaning company, founded by a former model, changed hum-drum home cleaning into something special. The company only uses non-toxic, environmentally friendly cleaning products, appealing both to ecologically aware consumers and people with allergies. More »
    
10. Hot nightclub, minus global warming: Kicking off in Rotterdam's Off_Corso on October 14th is the Sustainable Dance Club. The kick-off party will feature biological beer on tap and fair-trade clothing brand Kuyichi helping clubbers customize their clothes. The end concept will go much further. Enviu, an environmental NGO for young people, is working together with architectural firm Döll to create a truly sustainable nightclub. More »