CES 2008: Green gains, but only so far…

This year's Consumer Electronics Show proclaimed itself the world's first carbon-neutral trade event, proudly detailing how it required suppliers of everything from displays to disposable plates to choose environmentally benign options. This was also the greenest CES ever in terms of what participants were shown and invited to discuss.

But a greenfest it wasn't. At best, environmental issues rose from the near-invisibility of past shows to a scattered presence on the show floor, with the occasional green or brown sign carrying a corporate pledge or strategy. The conference program featured a day of modestly attended panel discussions on environmental issues, in the farthest reaches of the Las Vegas Convention Center's cavernous South Hall. A few other green-themed sessions dotted the calendar.

I attended as many of those events as I could and chatted afterwards with some of the panelists, who included manufacturers, mostly from big companies such as HP, Sony, and Panasonic, and regulators but not environmentalists (organizers say they tried without success to get environmental groups to participate).

Here are some of the promising developments I heard:

Energy Star designations will improve and expand. As we'll report more fully in a few weeks, when our annual TV feature-content posts to ConsumerReports.org, a flat-panel TV can easily consume $50 or more of power a year, possibly as much or more than your fridge. Many plasmas and LCD sets now bear Energy Star labels, but the current requirements reflect only power consumption in the standby mode—which is many times less than sets consume during the eight or so hours in which they're on in an average home. Energy Star's administrator, Katharine Kaplan, says a new TV standard will be finalized next month that reflects power when the set is on. She also said that standards would be similarly upgraded for printers and some other gear in 2008.

Utility rebates are coming. A key driver to getting consumers to choose more power-frugal air conditioners and the like have been rebate programs from utility companies, offering up to $100 or so for choosing a more energy-efficient model. A spokesman for the Consortium of Energy Efficiency, which works with utilities on such programs, said we should in 2008 see the first such programs targeted at consumer electronics; again, TVs seem a likely first target.

An assessment tool advances. EPEAT, which stands for Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, allows buyers to identify and evaluate greener electronic products according to three tiers of environmental performance: bronze, silver and gold, based on how many of 51 environmental criteria the items meet. As of December 2007, the federal government—which buys an estimated $63 billion worth of electronic equipment a year, the most of any buyer—has been required to buy only EPEAT-registered gear, a development that will increase EPEAT's impact. So far, EPEAT covers only computer desktops, laptops, and monitors, and not all models that qualify are available to consumers. But the numbers of qualified consumer models is growing and the program is expected to expand into other products, perhaps even later in 2008.

Manufacturers are identifying more green features that appeal in other ways, too. Or as one panelist put it: "The best green features are those that are invisible, or that the consumer sees as useful for other reasons, too." For example, reducing packaging for electronics goods reduces both carbon footprint and the amount of cardboard and plastic consumers have to dispose of. And sleep modes on computer peripherals such as printers can not only save energy but reduce noise and how often you may turn the device on and off.

But there was also discussion by industry types of some dilemmas and paradoxes that may delay or at least complicate progress in other green areas:

Ambivalent consumer commitment. Manufacturers representatives repeatedly said most consumers seem willing to buy greener electronics products only if they perform as well and cost no more than regular models. Or as one panelist put it: "The average person in Best Buy votes [on green issues] with their pocketbook." Analysts' reports suggesting that only 10 or 12 percent of consumers will pay more for a green consumer electronics (CE) product were often cited as evidence of how marginal environmental impact is as a concern. A few panelists, however, noted the figure has grown in recent years, promises to grow more, and indicates a lucrative niche marketing opportunity that they plan to pursue.

Competing environmental priorities. By and large, most corporate programs are focusing on reduction of greenhouse emissions, including the recycling and reuse of products. But several panelists pointed out that what helps reduce gases may be at odds with other environmental priorities advocated by some interest groups and governments.

For example, Fern Abrams, an executive with IPC, an association of electronics manufacturers, told me that a key priority of European regulators is toxicity of materials. That, she said, resulted in their adoption of a standard calling for all solder used in electronics sold in Europe to be lead-free. As a result, lead-free tin-alloy solder is now used in most electronics gear in the world, she says, even though a subsequent EPA study found it to be worse than lead solder in its impact on air pollution, acid rain, water quality, and global climate change.*

Not all companies are yet on board. The panelists were mostly from large consumer electronics (CE) companies that are among the leaders in corporate environmental programs. While they were generally leery of government regulation of the greenness of electronics goods, some would like regulators to create a "level playing field," as a Dell spokesman put it, so that less-green competitors are also mandated to begin programs in areas like recycling and reduction of greenhouse gases.

Want more in-depth information than this snapshot of "green CES" has provided? In addition the websites listed above, there's GreenerChoices.org, the environmental website from Consumers Union, Consumer Reports' parent organization. Among its useful features is a chart comparing computer manufacturers on their recycling programs and number of EPEAT-qualified products. The Consumer Electronics Association, the manufacturers' group that runs CES, has an environmental website that also offers useful information, including a search by zip code of recycling programs.

—Paul Reynolds

* Jan. 31, 2008 UPDATE:A previous version of this post stated incorrectly that the EPEAT ratings do not report scores by specific environmental impacts.—Ed.
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Comments

[everett whitney]

p.s. -To "Sandy - 23 Oct -" My old TV is obsolete Feb...!"

Not so at all ! Lots of other confused folks, as well !!!

All local cable analog service IS continued thru early 2012.

The singular event of FEB is the stopping of Over-The- Air analog signals for those with ONLY antenna services!

Not in any way, shape or form bothering your existing cable service ! Everything for you WILL remain the same.

everett

[everett whitney]

TO: Sandy - 23 Oct - " New TV is junk ...!"

Your experience is unfortunately told all too often!

ALL our popular Brand Names from the past have been long ago sold off / licensed, etc., to very poor, mediocre makers or assemblers in China. This was most likely done specifically to deceive / promote a feeling of confidence.

C.R. doesn't recommended a "dual mode" electronic item- your DVD-TV set. Not a savings at all. Basic separate Players are very available for under $50.

For many that can not easily or comfortably withstand to be "self-insured" after the warranty has expired, an alternative { also Not recommended by C.R.} is to only buy a Brand which Does offer separately a 5 years all-inclusive Plan, Including a different HDTV if there are no parts available !

Sony has such Plans, sold directly by them, after the purchase of a Sony from any authorized dealer, starting at $79 / 5 years in their smallest 19" set.

p.s. - your "HD" viewing satisfaction will be much greater with their 32" set for $649 currently. The 5 years Plan cost = $89.

[Sandy Carbone]

I purchased a Magnovox lcd 17 " screen with a dvd player combo 1 1/2 yrs ago on sale at Target for something less that $1,000.and it had a 3 mos warranty. The TV went out 2 weeks ago and I took it to an approved repair center and was told that the part could not be order and that it was only for exchange upon the 3 mo warranty end. I can't believe it, an investment I saved for many months is now to be gifted to the garbage after 1+ years. I purchased an inexpensive tv combo for a couple of hundred $'s over 16 years ago and it is still working great but will be obsolete after feb 2009. I'm told that I have no recourse on the newly purchased Magnovox. Before I invest another $1,000, I need to know which brand has the consumers interest at heart. Can you help me? Thank you for your help.

In tears, Sandy Carbone.

[John]

I agree with Adam, I have to wonder are we miss informed with media frenzy? I don't know enough about the science to know, that's Consumer Reports job.

Here is what I know. Take a look at my website pcplastics.com. I and my employees actually tore down thousands and thousands of pieces of TV plastic, to understand what could be reused and what couldn't. MOST of it can be reused, and 98% of what came into our facility went out for another life in a new product. Panasonic was the only company to buy our plastic, 90% recycled, 50% scrap from their production, 50% from styrofoam packing waste from the Portland, Oregon community, for a total of 50,000 pounds over four years of production. Other small companies bought the remaining three million pounds for use in their new products.

The public just doesn't know, but they sure need to understand how wimpy the EPEAT program is, take a look at their GOLD products, how much Post Consumer plastic do you need to get certified? ZERO 0%

Just like hybrid cars over gasoline, the public would demand recycled plastics if they knew how easy it is to use them. SO EASY, demand it folks!

Just to let you know, we closed February 1st, 2008 due to growing too quickly and running out of cash flow, it was a fun ride.

John Gogol

[Adam]

I find it curious that "greenhouse gas" means really one thing: CO2. Any physicist or chemist worth his salt will tell you that CO2 is far less efficient at trapping heat than water vapor. Moreover, it's far less abundant in the atmosphere. However, it doesn't serve the leftist environmentalist agenda to call the ocean and lakes "the biggest polluters on the planet."

The public doesn't know science well enough to see anthropogenic climate change as physically impossible, and journalists start by believing it and will report nothing to the contrary. I see scientific publications all the time by physicists and climatologists refuting the notion, but they never make it to the public.

Reducing packaging and real pollution are good, but too many publications, like this one, just repeat the hoax as if it were fact.