Eco-Economics

The National Wildlife Federation has put forth a case for earth-friendly energy sources that even an eco-apathetic, fiscal conservative must consider, for a moment at least. Rather than pointing to polar bears and debatable data on climate change, the NWF emphasizes how “technological change has always been the engine that has propelled America’s economy forward,” and, in turn, how investments in clean energy alternatives can “recharge America’s economy and lay the foundation for a stronger economic future,” says the group.

After all, in 2006, for example, the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries generated 8.5 million jobs and $970 billion in revenue in the U.S., says NWF, while the scale of the global marketplace for energy technologies is as large as the computer and IT industry.

We’re not so sure about NWF’s logic in connecting technology’s economic impact to a need for cap-and-trade legislation, but we like the bi-partisan appeal of the initial argument.

“America must lead the clean energy revolution,” says NWF. “We must reinvigorate our efforts to make sure the world’s solutions to global warming carry the ‘Made in America’ label.”

I think I just saw Bill O’Reilly’s eyebrow raising.

Finally, YouTube Shows Some Real Value

If you want to get a glimpse of the true potential of community Web 2.0 sites (beyond being yet another way for clever marketing execs to spread their same old marketing messages) check out what River Cuomo has going on over at YouTube.

The lead geek of alt-pop poopahs Weezer, Cuomo has tapped into the YouTube community to collectively write and produce a new song. Cuomo is letting the YouTubers do most of the work in composing and creating the music, lyrics and video, while offering up his guidance and direction along the way.

For creative types and makers of user-generated content, Cuomo’s step-by-step postings and commentary are insightful and entertaining lessons on the song-writing process, served up by a master song writer. For the rest of us, the project (there are about 10 video postings so far by Cuomo and countless replies from the minions) is a case study in public Internet collaboration and a glimpse of a coming marketplace where consumers are actively involved in the design and development of new products and services.

It helps that the song Cuomo and his community are putting together (an anthem to individualism and 1980s pop radio) is actually quite good. The latest version of the song/video can be seen about half way through the video posted here.

My guess is we’ll all be hearing lots more about this project in the mainstream media this summer.

What's a Blog Worth?

Although a good portion of news reporters regularly read blogs, there's still some question as to how influential bloggers are to the direction of news and content, especially outside the handful of more "mainstream" blog spots.

About two-thirds of reporters across five "beats" (Travel, Lifestyle, Healthcare, Technology & Politics) say they have a list of blogs they regularly check as part of their work day, according to a survey by Brodeur. The problem is, most reporters apparently don't see bloggers as credible sources.

A majority of reporters across all beats, for example, believe that blogs are having a negative impact on the "accuracy" of news reporting in their respective fields. Reactions were similar when asked about how blogs were impacting the "quality" of news reporting, as well.

Judging from the comments and feedback section of the survey, reporters apparently see blogs and social media sites as opinion-oriented, unreliable, lacking editorial review and even a "waste of time." Ouch.

This all may be of little surprise to folks who view blogs in the light of their original intent as a "social" media, but it's a concern for companies and PR firms that produce blogs posts, MySpace pages and the like in order to generate or direct the news.

Happy 50th Birthday Velcro

Landfill in the Sky

If you think CO2 emissions are a problem for our planet, take a close-up look of this image. Yes, that is a representation of the real space junk floating around the earth, more officially known as "orbital debris."

Don't believe your eyes? Check out this blurb from NASA's Orbital Debris Program Office and this link to other disturbing images.

“The following graphics are computer generated images of objects in Earth orbit that are currently being tracked. Approximately 95% of the objects in this illustration are orbital debris, i.e., not functional satellites. The dots represent the current location of each item.”

Social Networking for Your Feet

Forget about Match.com, eHarmony, Facebook or MySpace. Now your shoes are all you need to meet like-minded friends and partners. As the next step in computerized footwear, today VectraSense Technologies launched "The Smart Shoe Experience."

The new Verb For Shoe features an embedded computer which, among other capabilities, enables “contact sharing.” Yes, the shoes wirelessly communicate with each other, exchanging contact information among different wearers, says VectraSense. A wireless link then allows the shoes to link with a PC.

Arguably more practical, the computer in the shoes also automatically adjusts comfort according to the wearer's movements.

The price tag? MSRP is $700, or about the price I paid for my latest laptop.

Boobs ... he he he he

CWX says it "knows boobs." It also knows that boob jokes can be pretty funny.

So the company is launching a cute and clever interactive Web banner campaign to draw attention to its new sports bra technology, which "keeps breast motion to a minimum, leaving women happy, and those who would ogle them, well, crestfallen." It also is designed to eliminate the "monoboob" syndrome.

CWX provided a preview of the upcoming campaign for industry insiders like you. It's worth a look.

And, yes, we are asking you to actually click on a Web banner ad.

Check it out here

Are you ready to haggle?

A little blurb from BIG Research's latest American Pulse survey of 4,055 adults regarding concerns over the economny:

"One way consumers appear to be coping with pressures on the family budget is by learning a new shopping skill – haggling for price. According to the survey, half of Americans (50.3%) report having negotiated for better prices on products other than a home or vehicle in light of the current economic situation. Americans say they haggle the most for better costs on tires/batteries/auto repair (38.6%), followed by appliances (37.3%) and electronics (37.2%)."

Can't imagine many retailers would like to see this develop as a trend.