CES 2009: Painting Vegas green

At last year's Consumer Electronics Show, the environmental impact of the products on display was acknowledged, though in a muted way. This year, there's a lot more "green" talk in the presentations and green paint in the displays, and the hue is brighter and bolder.

That shift is spurred in part by a recent study by the Consumer Electronics Association, which puts on CES, suggesting that environmental concerns have risen markedly among electronic consumers, with a majority now saying the green dimensions of gear are a high priority when they buy.

Major manufacturers are proudly citing dramatic year-to-year increases in the number of locations for their recycling programs—while keeping mum about the fact that, in many states, those are not voluntary, but have been mandated by state governments.

Energy efficiency has been another key topic. Not least, that's probably because its delivery of cost savings to the consumer means it's an easier sell than other environmental dimensions than have less tangible direct benefit to the buyer, such as the ease with which a device can be recycled, for example, or the toxicity of its components.

Though there's been discussion of making everything from battery chargers to home-audio gear more energy efficient, the greatest attention, unsurprisingly, has been on the star of the show: the flat-panel TV set. Click on the video player at right to see my video blog from the show floor on green plasma and LCD TVs at this year's CES.

—Paul Reynolds