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I saw an awesome headline today:
Going Green Reaches Economic Tipping Point at Wine and Shine 2009
Serious implications for vineyards! A few wineries in Cali are 
supposedly powering their operation from the sun, courtesy of solar installation and financing company, Conergy.
With Obama’s stimulus package passed, it is a victory nationwide for treehuggers and environmentalists alike. It is the tipping point for a movement that’s been building momentum for decades. I’ve recently gotten involved with the Sierra Club here in Philadelphia, and you can see the glimmer and the mist in these peoples’ eyes when they talk about the times we’re in. The love for the planet now makes economic sense. From the need for energy independence, to skyrocketing health care costs, to an economy in depression, the time has now come to renew our world.
I’m always talking about sustainability, and as awesome as it is to ponder how it will save the planet and 
create a spiritual transcendence and all that good stuff that makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside, I thought it’d be smart to put a practical edge on the whole thing by taking a look at the actual markets that make up LOHAS (lifestyles of health and sustainability) and what type of numbers are behind them. This movement is growing fast and is creating incredible value in our economy. I believe it will gradually work it’s way into every imaginable vertical and serve to harmonize the economy into a holistic transcendence beyond capitalism. My friend Lee and I like to call it ecolism as I’ve mentioned in past posts. Here’s a breakdown of the current markets of the “sustainable economy”, what products and services they offer, and which ones are growing fastest.
The clean tech economy is taking off, and it’s going to be very interesting to see what will actually work. What concept will bring it all together?
From a production (energy) standpoint, you’ve got solar, wind, geothermal, tidal, hydro, and ethanol. And with consumption, you have to ask how are we going to create products, how are we going to deal with waste, and where are we going to get our food and water?
When you start looking at all these variables, you seem to get to the root of the sustainability problem… it’s very fragmented. There needs to be a new holistic approach that attacks the whole issue. Where do we get our energy, our food, and a new paradigm for products and waste? To us, the answer is quite clear… it’s found in nature, where the essence is growth. Grow our food, grow our energy, grow our resources. It’s all about growth energy… bioenergy.
My financial adviser notified me last month that our bank Wachovia is going to be 
acquired by Wells Fargo. It’s also been recently announced that Wells has exceeded $3 billion in environmental financing. Seems like they’re taking full advantage of this economic crisis and positioning to become a major player. Wondering what they’re gonna do with that 3 bil?
