Do Well and Do Good

Google & General Electric Eye the Electric Grid

The ongoing chatter about renewable energy almost always centers on power generation, evoking images of wind turbines or acres of solar panels set against green fields and blue skies. Yet power generation is just one part of the equation. A reliable grid with enough capacity is needed to transmit that power from where it originates to the populous areas where it gets used, especially if we are going to increasingly rely on electricity to power our cars and other forms of transportation. Leave it to Google, which already seems to own just about every other network in our lives, to team up with General Electric to identify the opportunity and commit to making it happen.

 

The two companies announced a collaboration on technology and policy initiatives (i.e. coaxing the US government) to try and update the country's outdated grid. Both stand to gain serious revenue if it becomes a reality since GE makes many renewable energy technologies such as wind turbines and Google has software solutions for more effectively managing power transmission across the grid and is also looking to lower one of its most significant operating costs for its data centers.

 

It is amazing that amidst all the financial turmoil of the last weeks this is still happening. After all, if the initiative gains momentum it represents a need for some serious capital commitment. And that's one thing that seems to be in serious short supply these days. Still, the unfortunate and tough financial situations that we find ourselves in today with the bank failures, the high cost of energy, and the political cost of our dependence on foreign oil come together to create an opportunity too. It's an opportunity not only to do the right thing, but also to make a lot of money. Happily, Google and GE recognize that, and they recognize that it will take collaboration with government to make it all happen.

New York Times coverage of the announcement is here.

eBay Enters Green Ecommerce Fray with WorldofGood.com

WorldofGood.com is eBay's new do-gooder shopping portal. I haven’t been that attuned to the latest happenings in this ecommerce niche but a new eBay product definitely makes me look twice.

 

A few minutes on the site and I quickly gathered that it seems well designed and friendly. Still, I can't help but feel a little disappointed. The fact that a company like eBay is stepping into this area could be a real legitimization of what might otherwise be considered either a fad or a really small retail niche. What eBay could have done was signaled that social attributes of products are important enough for everyone to consider when they are buying a product. Instead, WorldofGood.com seems very much in line with, rather than a departure from, some of the existing green commerce sites like EcoSeek or Greenzer, among others. To be clear: there's nothing really wrong with that, except that it continues to work within a paradigm that assumes only people who regularly buy handmade drums from Indonesia really want any social info about the products they buy.

 

Of course, the site has just launched and it may evolve into much more than what it suggests right now. On the positive side, the labeling system that the site employs is valuable and transparent, breaking things down into 'People Positive', 'Eco Positive', 'Animal Friendly' and 'Supports a Cause'. Along with more specific attributes within each of these categories, the system really captures the social value of most any product out there. Plus, these labels do a great job of giving consumers clarity on exactly what is good about the products they are buying rather than making them take it on face value just because something might be made of bamboo.

 

Similarly, WorldofGood.com put into place something they call 'Trustology', which is essentially a marketplace for third party validation of the various businesses in the value chain that bring the product to your door; from the producer to the seller.  That may be confusing to some, but it provides real transparency and real value.

 

All in all, I think these labeling systems are what are most interesting about the new site. After all, people couldn’t choose to eat healthy until labels were placed on foods. Same goes here.