Right On
Notice how expensive light’s going to be getting, I point out in Thursday morning’s Journal Sentinel: Bulb makers say they’re close to perfecting the LED bulb for household use that can replace the 100-watt incandescent bulb, which is more or less illegal as of next year. The LED bulb would cost, at least at the outset, about $50.
In what world does a $50 light bulb for household use make sense? One where the government makes the cheaper alternatives scarce. Congress knocked out 50-cent incandescent bulbs as part of a 311-page law passed in Nancy Pelosi’s first bloom of power and signed – gee, thanks, pal – by President George W. Bush. The ban* approaches unhindered under President Barack Obama and, as I point out, fits right into his plans to nudge us into a “green jobs” utopia. It’s of a piece with Obama’s cap-and-trade-and-Chevy-Volt dreams.
I write:
“In selling all these things, the president speaks of villains who at last will be made to pay: Coal-burning utilities will squirm, oil companies will be discomfited. In place of these baddies, virtuous new industries will be spawned.
“But he makes an elementary error: He sees the $50-per-bulb of revenue to a new lighting industry while never noticing the $49.50 of other things that people would have bought had their government not ginned up a light-bulb crisis. The $50 isn't new money: It's just diverted against customers' will from, say, mustard or dentistry or shoes or motel stays or any of a million things that people would rather spend their money on if the government had let well enough alone.
“Underlying all this is, apparently, a belief that you and I have to get used to less of nearly everything, energy included, and that it's up to policy-makers to nudge us. Take another part of (Rep. Paul) Ryan's plans, health care for future retirees. He proposes a reliable, tested mechanism to bring prices down - market economics. Obama instead proceeds from the belief that we're using too much health care. He proposes an expert panel that will restrict how much care people get, especially of expensive, new treatments.
“On taxes, Obama talks endlessly of more accurately finding out who has too much money - again with the villains! - and taxing away more of it. Ryan audaciously suggests we see how we can all get richer, meaning more money for every purpose - including government, and without the punitive rates.”
Read about a more optimistic alternative here.
*By the way, I know that formally speaking, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 does not ban incandescent bulbs. No, it just insists that any bulb you are permitted to buy should be many times as efficient as incandescent bulbs can be. Clever.
Also, yes, I know compact fluorescents are somewhat cheaper than LEDs. Yes, I know they save money long-term, presuming the kids don’t break them. That’s why I use several around my house, in places where I don’t care that their light is weak and ugly. That doesn’t make it right for the government to boss around your light bulb selection.
Thursday 26 May 2011
Wednesday 25 May 2011
Green" products and free market conflicts
"Green" products and free market conflicts
In recent years the move toward green products and technologies has gone into overdrive. Everything from the expansion of windmills and solar technologies to the hard rush toward passenger vehicles that run on alternative fuels is in the media. Few people disagree that America needs to continue to develop more efficient and cost-effective products. However, what has been a bone of contention with many consumers is the way in which many within the "green" movement have gone about attempting to integrate these new technologies into the market.
The primary problem with the green movement is that it is often inhospitable to the mechanisms of the free market. Many of these green products cost more than they are worth. Then there is the strong-arming. As soon as one hears of the wonders of a new green technology, it is not long before government intervention follows with either manipulating buyers with rebates, which come straight from the tax payers' pockets, or penalties for those that fail to comply with new green mandates. What is completely missing from this picture? It is the freedom of choice that comes with the free market.
American buyers welcome innovation and creativity. The expansion of green technologies would be no exception if they were presented fairly within the market place. That is, new technologies such as hybrid cars can and will do well if they can be designed to be cost-effective and equal in quality to their current competition. If not, they will and should fail and no government rebate will change that. When the government attempts to subvert the free market, products that should have been colossal marketing failures are wrongly saved and kept from their deserved and natural extinction. Let us illuminate a conflict between the pushers of green products and the free market.
Light bulbs — they are a major part of American life. No one will argue that a traditional light bulb has too short of a lifespan. Everyone who reads this article, who is honest, will admit to doing the "light bulb shuffle." That is, taking a working light bulb to different rooms within the home when there is a shortage of working bulbs but still the need for light. There is no shame here, just the realization that the technology could be improved. Here is a bright example where the green industry could work to fill a very needed and practical niche in American life. The criterion for success here is simply creating a better product for a competitive price.
Unfortunately, those pushing this green technology fail to embrace the free market and turn to the government to create buyer appeal. Despite the reasonable argument against energy waste when comparing new bulbs to traditional incandescent ones, the government decides to strong-arm the American consumer with an upcoming ban on 100-watt incandescent light bulbs even though the nearest LED alternative light bulb is reported to come in at a cost of $50 apiece. This is ridiculous. The "green" compact fluorescent light bulb brought about by the current environmental push is even worse. Why? They are not only expensive, they are dangerous!
According to the Environmental Protection Agency's website, breaking a CFL light bulb is the equivalent of creating a hazardous material spill. Due to the poisonous mercury powder and vapor released when a green CFL is broken in common household settings, the EPA recommends that all humans and animals evacuate the room. Windows should be opened and the room should be aired out for five to ten minutes. Heating and air conditioning units should be shut down to limit contamination spread. Remains of the broken CFL should be placed in a glass jar with a metal lid and taken to a disposal location. Vacuuming the location of the CFL break incident is reported by the EPA to potentially spread mercury powder or vapor. In other words, if your new environmental friendly "green" light bulb doesn't kill your pocketbook, it might kill you personally. What were they thinking?
In recent years the move toward green products and technologies has gone into overdrive. Everything from the expansion of windmills and solar technologies to the hard rush toward passenger vehicles that run on alternative fuels is in the media. Few people disagree that America needs to continue to develop more efficient and cost-effective products. However, what has been a bone of contention with many consumers is the way in which many within the "green" movement have gone about attempting to integrate these new technologies into the market.
The primary problem with the green movement is that it is often inhospitable to the mechanisms of the free market. Many of these green products cost more than they are worth. Then there is the strong-arming. As soon as one hears of the wonders of a new green technology, it is not long before government intervention follows with either manipulating buyers with rebates, which come straight from the tax payers' pockets, or penalties for those that fail to comply with new green mandates. What is completely missing from this picture? It is the freedom of choice that comes with the free market.
American buyers welcome innovation and creativity. The expansion of green technologies would be no exception if they were presented fairly within the market place. That is, new technologies such as hybrid cars can and will do well if they can be designed to be cost-effective and equal in quality to their current competition. If not, they will and should fail and no government rebate will change that. When the government attempts to subvert the free market, products that should have been colossal marketing failures are wrongly saved and kept from their deserved and natural extinction. Let us illuminate a conflict between the pushers of green products and the free market.
Light bulbs — they are a major part of American life. No one will argue that a traditional light bulb has too short of a lifespan. Everyone who reads this article, who is honest, will admit to doing the "light bulb shuffle." That is, taking a working light bulb to different rooms within the home when there is a shortage of working bulbs but still the need for light. There is no shame here, just the realization that the technology could be improved. Here is a bright example where the green industry could work to fill a very needed and practical niche in American life. The criterion for success here is simply creating a better product for a competitive price.
Unfortunately, those pushing this green technology fail to embrace the free market and turn to the government to create buyer appeal. Despite the reasonable argument against energy waste when comparing new bulbs to traditional incandescent ones, the government decides to strong-arm the American consumer with an upcoming ban on 100-watt incandescent light bulbs even though the nearest LED alternative light bulb is reported to come in at a cost of $50 apiece. This is ridiculous. The "green" compact fluorescent light bulb brought about by the current environmental push is even worse. Why? They are not only expensive, they are dangerous!
According to the Environmental Protection Agency's website, breaking a CFL light bulb is the equivalent of creating a hazardous material spill. Due to the poisonous mercury powder and vapor released when a green CFL is broken in common household settings, the EPA recommends that all humans and animals evacuate the room. Windows should be opened and the room should be aired out for five to ten minutes. Heating and air conditioning units should be shut down to limit contamination spread. Remains of the broken CFL should be placed in a glass jar with a metal lid and taken to a disposal location. Vacuuming the location of the CFL break incident is reported by the EPA to potentially spread mercury powder or vapor. In other words, if your new environmental friendly "green" light bulb doesn't kill your pocketbook, it might kill you personally. What were they thinking?
Tuesday 17 May 2011
LEDのアピール：理由この技術革新が注目されている
LEDのアピール：理由この技術革新が注目されている なぜLED技術は、家庭で実施されているいくつかの理由があります。これは、過去の代替に新しい選択肢です。エジソンが最初に電球を作成したとき、我々は産業革命を再定義します。 LED技術は、生成された場合は、より地球に優しい革命は、ストア内のです。いくつかのLEDがストリップまたはLED lampeを購入するLEDのお店を訪問するとき、それはあなたが味わうことができる偉大な照明方法である理由の原因を知る必要がある。
汎用性：あなたがはるかに良いクリスマスやアクセントライトをご希望であれば、フレキシブルなLED streifenは、室内灯の最大のオプションです。 LEDは、すばらしい色の数で提供されます。赤、クールで暖かい白色光から、オレンジ、ブルースは、緑、紫などの色は、色を見つけることができる最大のスーツあなたの家。あなたは間違いなくアクセントにあなたの庭の経路をstreifen LEDはRGBのwasserfestを愛するか、またはパティオ全体の多くもっと多くの素晴らしいこと。色はその内のLEDチップに注入した膜の色に応じて変更することができます。それが混乱が少ないのでこれは、特別なフィルタを必要としません。
長寿命：そのLEDが点灯し、10万時間を賄えることになる前の約束のいくつかのメーカー。それにもかかわらず、ライトは50,000時間で、平均的に更新することができますが、それはまた、上向きに行くことができると言っても安全でしょう。それにもかかわらず、光は10年ほど続くことができます。それは本当に長い着光です。その予想される生活したら、その輝きはすぐにそれが消えるまで減少し始めることがわかります。コストが本当に報わそれは非常に実際に長時間の最後のことができるからです。あなたがしなければならないすべてはあなたの家に行動に移すことができる高品質の光を購入しています。室内灯を外部からは、LEDを選択した場合は、それは本当に長い時間を生きているままになります知っている。
ファンは有毒：要素が含まれています定期的に電球はフィラメントの内部に配置されていることをタングステンと呼ばれる。電球の内部はまた、粉末状物質で満たされている。いくつか、そうでない場合はすべてのライトは、壊れて得ることができる化学物質が大気中に露出させることができる人々によって吸入。いくつかの球根は、水銀含有量を持っています。 LEDはLampeは有害な化学物質が含まれていません。
耐久性：LEDは固体質量である。これは、中空内層を持っていません。前の球根は、高感度で簡単にコンポーネントを破るが含まれています。フィラメントが破損して取得する場合は、光が逮捕されます。 LEDの発光メカニズムはそれに耐衝撃、非常に固体を作成し、固体膜に注入される。実際には、LEDライトが付いている車がクラッシュした場合、可能性は、ライトは、新しい車に配置することができ、それにもかかわらず正常に動作します。これは、LED lampeすることができますし、真に信頼性の除去が寿命です。
汎用性：あなたがはるかに良いクリスマスやアクセントライトをご希望であれば、フレキシブルなLED streifenは、室内灯の最大のオプションです。 LEDは、すばらしい色の数で提供されます。赤、クールで暖かい白色光から、オレンジ、ブルースは、緑、紫などの色は、色を見つけることができる最大のスーツあなたの家。あなたは間違いなくアクセントにあなたの庭の経路をstreifen LEDはRGBのwasserfestを愛するか、またはパティオ全体の多くもっと多くの素晴らしいこと。色はその内のLEDチップに注入した膜の色に応じて変更することができます。それが混乱が少ないのでこれは、特別なフィルタを必要としません。
長寿命：そのLEDが点灯し、10万時間を賄えることになる前の約束のいくつかのメーカー。それにもかかわらず、ライトは50,000時間で、平均的に更新することができますが、それはまた、上向きに行くことができると言っても安全でしょう。それにもかかわらず、光は10年ほど続くことができます。それは本当に長い着光です。その予想される生活したら、その輝きはすぐにそれが消えるまで減少し始めることがわかります。コストが本当に報わそれは非常に実際に長時間の最後のことができるからです。あなたがしなければならないすべてはあなたの家に行動に移すことができる高品質の光を購入しています。室内灯を外部からは、LEDを選択した場合は、それは本当に長い時間を生きているままになります知っている。
ファンは有毒：要素が含まれています定期的に電球はフィラメントの内部に配置されていることをタングステンと呼ばれる。電球の内部はまた、粉末状物質で満たされている。いくつか、そうでない場合はすべてのライトは、壊れて得ることができる化学物質が大気中に露出させることができる人々によって吸入。いくつかの球根は、水銀含有量を持っています。 LEDはLampeは有害な化学物質が含まれていません。
耐久性：LEDは固体質量である。これは、中空内層を持っていません。前の球根は、高感度で簡単にコンポーネントを破るが含まれています。フィラメントが破損して取得する場合は、光が逮捕されます。 LEDの発光メカニズムはそれに耐衝撃、非常に固体を作成し、固体膜に注入される。実際には、LEDライトが付いている車がクラッシュした場合、可能性は、ライトは、新しい車に配置することができ、それにもかかわらず正常に動作します。これは、LED lampeすることができますし、真に信頼性の除去が寿命です。
Thursday 12 May 2011
Daytona Beach, Volusia County modifying turtle lighting rules
Antec soundscience halo 6 LED bias lighting kit
Antec celebrates its quarter century of existence by introducing the soundscience halo 6 LED bias lighting kit, targeting the enthusiast DIY market for gaming nuts as well as PC upgrade fans. The name of this DIY kit is pretty much self-explanatory, but just in case you do not get what it is all about, we are here to help. The Antec soundscience halo 6 LED bias lighting kit will come across as an affordable option for folks who want to outfit PC monitors with professional-grade backlighting.
Just what is the whole point of such backlights? Well, the main idea would be to reduce eye fatigue while increasing image clarity whenever you indulge in long gaming sessions and similar periods of extended computer use. This is not a new idea at all, as it has been demonstrated by Philips and their Ambilight equipped TVs in the past, but for computer users, it is unchartered territory.
The bias lighting illumination technique will make a ring of white backlight appear behind PC monitors, hence reducing eyestrain that is caused by differences in picture brightness from scene changes in movies, TV shows and video games. Apart from that, the soundscience halo 6 LED bias lighting kit’s USB-powered LED strip that measures 14.6” in length can be attached to the back of the monitor, ensuring it complements any PC monitor as long as it does not venture beyond the 24” screen size.
Both the color and brightness of the LEDs are carefully calibrated, where it will go great lengths to help increase a monitor’s perceived contrast ratio, hence enhancing perceived black levels, vibrant colors and picture detail by enabling dark adapted viewing.
Antec will offer a 2-year limited warranty for their Antec soundscience halo 6 LED bias lighting kit, and at the relatively low, low price of $12.95 a pop, it might just turn more than a few heads when you have this installed on your home machine. Perhaps it is a good way of dropping a hint to your boss that you are being overworked, and your eyes doth protest looking into the computer screen for too long?
Antec celebrates its quarter century of existence by introducing the soundscience halo 6 LED bias lighting kit, targeting the enthusiast DIY market for gaming nuts as well as PC upgrade fans. The name of this DIY kit is pretty much self-explanatory, but just in case you do not get what it is all about, we are here to help. The Antec soundscience halo 6 LED bias lighting kit will come across as an affordable option for folks who want to outfit PC monitors with professional-grade backlighting.
Just what is the whole point of such backlights? Well, the main idea would be to reduce eye fatigue while increasing image clarity whenever you indulge in long gaming sessions and similar periods of extended computer use. This is not a new idea at all, as it has been demonstrated by Philips and their Ambilight equipped TVs in the past, but for computer users, it is unchartered territory.
The bias lighting illumination technique will make a ring of white backlight appear behind PC monitors, hence reducing eyestrain that is caused by differences in picture brightness from scene changes in movies, TV shows and video games. Apart from that, the soundscience halo 6 LED bias lighting kit’s USB-powered LED strip that measures 14.6” in length can be attached to the back of the monitor, ensuring it complements any PC monitor as long as it does not venture beyond the 24” screen size.
Both the color and brightness of the LEDs are carefully calibrated, where it will go great lengths to help increase a monitor’s perceived contrast ratio, hence enhancing perceived black levels, vibrant colors and picture detail by enabling dark adapted viewing.
Antec will offer a 2-year limited warranty for their Antec soundscience halo 6 LED bias lighting kit, and at the relatively low, low price of $12.95 a pop, it might just turn more than a few heads when you have this installed on your home machine. Perhaps it is a good way of dropping a hint to your boss that you are being overworked, and your eyes doth protest looking into the computer screen for too long?
Monday 9 May 2011
Facebook Turns to Smart Lighting for Data Center
Facebook Turns to Smart Lighting for Data Center
Facebook’s new data center in Oregon has gotten its fair share of attention, both for Facebook’s decision to open up the energy efficient design, and also for Greenpeace’s campaign to try to convince Facebook to stop powering it with coal. But here’s another reason to recognize the data center: Facebook has installed a smart lighting system courtesy of startup Redwood Systems.
Sam Klepper, Chief Marketing Officer for Redwood Systems, tells me that Facebook is currently using Redwood System’s technology to control over 1,000 lights in Facebook’s data center in Oregon, and Facebook plans to add the lighting system to the rest of the buildings at the Oregon data center shortly. Klepper says Redwood Systems is also talking to Facebook about implementing the technology in Facebook’s upcoming data center in North Carolina.
Redwood Systems makes lighting digital, networked and intelligent. The 3-year-old company makes a control and sensor system for LEDs (light emitting diodes) that runs over an optimized version of ethernet cables. Commercial building owners and data center operators can use the LED lighting control and management system to cut the amount of lighting used throughout the building, in some cases up to 70 percent over standard non-networked fluorescent lighting systems. LEDs are more efficient than fluorescents, but Redwood’s management system also monitors the building environment, including temperature and room occupancy, and can dim and manage the lights to help maximize efficiency.
Klepper told me that a typical return on investment in terms of energy savings for the lighting system, is between two to five years after installing the system, depending on different factors. Around 40 percent of Redwood System’s customers right now are in the data center space, said Klepper, who added that that percent will likely grow over the coming months and years. Klepper also said that Facebook is interested in the lighting technology partly because it is combining lighting efficiency with overall building intelligence, and Redwood’s sensors can alert managers when panels for hot/cold aisle containment have been left open, or , say, when there is movement in certain sections of the data center.
Redwood uses its optimized communications cables to send both a digital signal (zeros and ones of information) as well as power, and each LED fixture contains an embedded sensor that can monitor the environment of the room. The LEDs are then connected to the centralized Redwood computing engine.
Dave Leonard, co-founder and CEO of Redwood Systems, left Cisco’s wireless division to start the company. The company is backed by at least $27 million from Index Ventures, Battery Ventures and U.S. Venture Partners. There are a variety of competitors that are offering similar lighting management systems, including Digital Lumens, and Adura Technologies as well as offerings from the building automation companies Honeywell and Johnson Controls.
Smart lighting could be a massive market. The Electrical Power Research Institute (EPRI) reported that only 7 percent of the U.S. commercial and industrial market have installed lighting control systems of any kind.
Facebook’s new data center in Oregon has gotten its fair share of attention, both for Facebook’s decision to open up the energy efficient design, and also for Greenpeace’s campaign to try to convince Facebook to stop powering it with coal. But here’s another reason to recognize the data center: Facebook has installed a smart lighting system courtesy of startup Redwood Systems.
Sam Klepper, Chief Marketing Officer for Redwood Systems, tells me that Facebook is currently using Redwood System’s technology to control over 1,000 lights in Facebook’s data center in Oregon, and Facebook plans to add the lighting system to the rest of the buildings at the Oregon data center shortly. Klepper says Redwood Systems is also talking to Facebook about implementing the technology in Facebook’s upcoming data center in North Carolina.
Redwood Systems makes lighting digital, networked and intelligent. The 3-year-old company makes a control and sensor system for LEDs (light emitting diodes) that runs over an optimized version of ethernet cables. Commercial building owners and data center operators can use the LED lighting control and management system to cut the amount of lighting used throughout the building, in some cases up to 70 percent over standard non-networked fluorescent lighting systems. LEDs are more efficient than fluorescents, but Redwood’s management system also monitors the building environment, including temperature and room occupancy, and can dim and manage the lights to help maximize efficiency.
Klepper told me that a typical return on investment in terms of energy savings for the lighting system, is between two to five years after installing the system, depending on different factors. Around 40 percent of Redwood System’s customers right now are in the data center space, said Klepper, who added that that percent will likely grow over the coming months and years. Klepper also said that Facebook is interested in the lighting technology partly because it is combining lighting efficiency with overall building intelligence, and Redwood’s sensors can alert managers when panels for hot/cold aisle containment have been left open, or , say, when there is movement in certain sections of the data center.
Redwood uses its optimized communications cables to send both a digital signal (zeros and ones of information) as well as power, and each LED fixture contains an embedded sensor that can monitor the environment of the room. The LEDs are then connected to the centralized Redwood computing engine.
Dave Leonard, co-founder and CEO of Redwood Systems, left Cisco’s wireless division to start the company. The company is backed by at least $27 million from Index Ventures, Battery Ventures and U.S. Venture Partners. There are a variety of competitors that are offering similar lighting management systems, including Digital Lumens, and Adura Technologies as well as offerings from the building automation companies Honeywell and Johnson Controls.
Smart lighting could be a massive market. The Electrical Power Research Institute (EPRI) reported that only 7 percent of the U.S. commercial and industrial market have installed lighting control systems of any kind.
Tuesday 3 May 2011
What Light Pollution Ordinances Could Mean for C-stores
What Light Pollution Ordinances Could Mean for C-stores
We all know that well lit c-stores attract more clientele at night. Folks, especially women feel safer in a well lit environment. Indeed, studies and surveys show that it is actually safer, and humans seem to inherently know this. Perhaps, the reasoning has to do with the basic “crime triangle” – that is to say for a crime to occur three things are needed:
A brightly lit convenience store tends to remove the opportunity due to risk/reward for the criminal in that they will most likely get caught, and witnesses will see them and turn them in, therefore they keep going and look for other opportunities, and safer locations to do their criminal activity. That’s why a well-lit facility works.
Now then, with high energy costs, which may, in fact, triple in the upcoming years due to more regulations on coal-fired plants and subsidized alternative energy – keeping a brightly lit facility may be a problem. Perhaps, that’s why more and more of us are going to LED lighting to save both energy and money, and collect some tax breaks to boot.
Nevertheless, there is an on-going battle running in many urban areas and big cities with regards to the proliferation of LED Billboards. The opponents of these billboards have shown that they are highly distracting to motorists and cause more pedestrian, bicycle, and multi-car accidents – the research appears to confirm this, although some of that could indeed be due to the increase of text-messaging while driving, compounded with the billboard distractions – time and more research will tell.
Indeed, there was a very interesting segment recently on KCET Los Angeles News titled “Bright Lights, Big City” by Reporter Judy Muller, Producer Karen Foshay and Editor Alberto Arce, which noted that in the long ongoing battle in Los Angeles’ Westside against LED Billboards there is a new challenge: human health. The segment started with this comment: “Light pollution may be a more serious concern than you think. New evidence suggests that a lack of darkness in our urban night skies contributes to air pollution, making it a matter of public health. Yet Los Angeles keeps rolling out bigger, brighter signs.”
Will local neighborhoods ask convenience stores to also curtail their brightness? Will local governments step in and create more regulations? If so, that will mean fewer sales in the evenings, thus, hurting business. Perhaps fewer patrons will wish to wonder very far from their cars when pumping fuel. Fewer trips into the c-store will mean fewer sales on high-profit impulse items.
Is this a future threat? It very well could be.
For those c-stores who have signed agreements with Billboard Companies sporting large LED Multi-media Billboards, that could cost a few bucks each month in rental or lease revenues from those Billboards in the future. Either way, this could be a future threat to the industry, albeit not a game changer, it might still slightly alter the dynamics and cost your c-store future revenue. I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.
We all know that well lit c-stores attract more clientele at night. Folks, especially women feel safer in a well lit environment. Indeed, studies and surveys show that it is actually safer, and humans seem to inherently know this. Perhaps, the reasoning has to do with the basic “crime triangle” – that is to say for a crime to occur three things are needed:
A brightly lit convenience store tends to remove the opportunity due to risk/reward for the criminal in that they will most likely get caught, and witnesses will see them and turn them in, therefore they keep going and look for other opportunities, and safer locations to do their criminal activity. That’s why a well-lit facility works.
Now then, with high energy costs, which may, in fact, triple in the upcoming years due to more regulations on coal-fired plants and subsidized alternative energy – keeping a brightly lit facility may be a problem. Perhaps, that’s why more and more of us are going to LED lighting to save both energy and money, and collect some tax breaks to boot.
Nevertheless, there is an on-going battle running in many urban areas and big cities with regards to the proliferation of LED Billboards. The opponents of these billboards have shown that they are highly distracting to motorists and cause more pedestrian, bicycle, and multi-car accidents – the research appears to confirm this, although some of that could indeed be due to the increase of text-messaging while driving, compounded with the billboard distractions – time and more research will tell.
Indeed, there was a very interesting segment recently on KCET Los Angeles News titled “Bright Lights, Big City” by Reporter Judy Muller, Producer Karen Foshay and Editor Alberto Arce, which noted that in the long ongoing battle in Los Angeles’ Westside against LED Billboards there is a new challenge: human health. The segment started with this comment: “Light pollution may be a more serious concern than you think. New evidence suggests that a lack of darkness in our urban night skies contributes to air pollution, making it a matter of public health. Yet Los Angeles keeps rolling out bigger, brighter signs.”
Will local neighborhoods ask convenience stores to also curtail their brightness? Will local governments step in and create more regulations? If so, that will mean fewer sales in the evenings, thus, hurting business. Perhaps fewer patrons will wish to wonder very far from their cars when pumping fuel. Fewer trips into the c-store will mean fewer sales on high-profit impulse items.
Is this a future threat? It very well could be.
For those c-stores who have signed agreements with Billboard Companies sporting large LED Multi-media Billboards, that could cost a few bucks each month in rental or lease revenues from those Billboards in the future. Either way, this could be a future threat to the industry, albeit not a game changer, it might still slightly alter the dynamics and cost your c-store future revenue. I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.
Ecommerce Software Shows Who is Going Green
Ecommerce Software Shows Who is Going Green
leading online retailer and proponent of all things green, has released sales numbers showing the amount of green goods sent to various parts of the US, and also breaks down which types of products were shipped where. It’s an interesting use for their ecommerce software, which allowed them to analyze ordering and shipping data for a variety of categories and localities. Overall, the trend should be heartening for environmentalists, with more Americans purchasing environmentally friendly products and energy-saving devices from Amazon year-over-year.
The four main categories as determined by Amazon were Water Conservation, “Garden to Table” (which means books and products targeted for at-home gardening), Renewable Energy, and Green Parenting.
Green Parenting is an especially-targeted look at orders placed through Amazon’s “Green Baby” and “Green Toys” ecommerce software sub-stores. The states with the most green-centric parents were Vermont, Massachusetts, and Washington. Overall, the northeast led the way in this regard.
The water conservation data collected by Amazon is related mainly to sales of rain collection buckets and water-saving devices and books about the subject. According to their numbers, the states bulking up on saving water are Arizona and New Mexico, which makes a lot of sense given their arid climates.
To put together energy savings data, Amazon took into account sales of energy-efficient devices and electronics, plus anything powered by or relating to solar or wind power. Examples of energy-saving devices include LED lighting (light emitting diodes, which are much more efficient than conventional light bulbs) and any product with the Energy Star or EPEAT seal of approval. This category also includes books on the subject. The leading states for energy conservation were Florida, California, ans Nevada. This also makes a lot of sense, as these states get tons of sun which would allow for a lot of solar panel use (Daytona Beach actually bought the most panels).
Frankly, all of the data presented, while interesting, is only representative of Amazon’s sales through their own ecommerce software, not all orders and sales of green-related products, books, and resources, from all outlets. It also doesn’t take into account any energy-saving or environmentally-protective steps that households can take on their own (lights off, shorter showers, etc.), or environmental home improvements made using store-bought equipment from hardware stores or specialty shops. But that’s all rather cynical, with the increased prevalence of green daily deals programs and even a green auction to benefit New York City trees, I say shop on, green shoppers!
leading online retailer and proponent of all things green, has released sales numbers showing the amount of green goods sent to various parts of the US, and also breaks down which types of products were shipped where. It’s an interesting use for their ecommerce software, which allowed them to analyze ordering and shipping data for a variety of categories and localities. Overall, the trend should be heartening for environmentalists, with more Americans purchasing environmentally friendly products and energy-saving devices from Amazon year-over-year.
The four main categories as determined by Amazon were Water Conservation, “Garden to Table” (which means books and products targeted for at-home gardening), Renewable Energy, and Green Parenting.
Green Parenting is an especially-targeted look at orders placed through Amazon’s “Green Baby” and “Green Toys” ecommerce software sub-stores. The states with the most green-centric parents were Vermont, Massachusetts, and Washington. Overall, the northeast led the way in this regard.
The water conservation data collected by Amazon is related mainly to sales of rain collection buckets and water-saving devices and books about the subject. According to their numbers, the states bulking up on saving water are Arizona and New Mexico, which makes a lot of sense given their arid climates.
To put together energy savings data, Amazon took into account sales of energy-efficient devices and electronics, plus anything powered by or relating to solar or wind power. Examples of energy-saving devices include LED lighting (light emitting diodes, which are much more efficient than conventional light bulbs) and any product with the Energy Star or EPEAT seal of approval. This category also includes books on the subject. The leading states for energy conservation were Florida, California, ans Nevada. This also makes a lot of sense, as these states get tons of sun which would allow for a lot of solar panel use (Daytona Beach actually bought the most panels).
Frankly, all of the data presented, while interesting, is only representative of Amazon’s sales through their own ecommerce software, not all orders and sales of green-related products, books, and resources, from all outlets. It also doesn’t take into account any energy-saving or environmentally-protective steps that households can take on their own (lights off, shorter showers, etc.), or environmental home improvements made using store-bought equipment from hardware stores or specialty shops. But that’s all rather cynical, with the increased prevalence of green daily deals programs and even a green auction to benefit New York City trees, I say shop on, green shoppers!
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