Mar 27 2009

The Green Seen

Posted by: Leonard Anderson

Several items relating to the business and technology of clean energy caught our attention this week:

• Thinking about splurging to celebrate a special event like a honeymoon or a wedding anniversary? Think eco-luxury; you'll feel super. Check out six "green" international luxury resorts in the Bahamas, Australia, Costa Rica, Thailand, Kenya and our nearby Napa Valley combining  "pampering with a pronounced eco-sensibility." Notes Treehugger.com: "Because luxury resorts frequently are located in the world's most beautiful (and delicate) spots, a built-in need for a conservation and sustainability approach is growing fast--nobody will sign up for a safari if the animals are all dead."
• Down Silicon Valley way, it looks like Google co-founder Larry Page plans to build a 6,000-square-foot, four-bedroom eco-mansion on a 0.75-acre lot in Palo Alto. Page will apply for a Green Point Certification for the new digs, including a roof garden with solar panels and special paving to let rainwater seep into the ground, among other green features. "The house is designed to minimize the impact on the environment," a Page spokesman tells the local newspaper.
• Tata Motors, part of India's Tata Group, is preparing to market what is pegged as the world's cheapest car -- the $2,000 Nano. The car may produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions than India's ubiquitous two-wheel motor scooters, but environmentalists warn the Nano could create more traffic congestion and strain in urban centers.

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