Nearly 75 per cent of visitors who clicked on my poll as of midnight think that Canada’s cleantech sector will suffer under a Conservative government. Mind you, only 26 people voted. Now that we know we’ll have a Conservative minority government, we can rest a little easier knowing it is a weak minority that will probably have a difficult time pulling out of Kyoto, as Conservative leader Stephen Harper promised. So it’s fair to say, I think, that under this new government cleantech won’t suffer much but it most certainly won’t move forward in any material way. That’s a shame.

I do hope that the Harper government will keep organizations such as Liberal-created Sustainable Development Technology Canada intact, given that it has contributed so much — from its $550 million investment fund – to the demonstration and commercialization of homegrown clean technologies. It has also done this in a way that gets the private sector fronting a majority of the bill.

I’m just happy this election is over, frankly, and that the bloated, arrogant bureacracy in Ottawa will be shaken up. It’s not the most ideal outcome, but it certainly was time for a change.

My column in today’s Toronto Star laments the fact that the environment was almost completely overlooked during this federal election campaign. It also gives a quick overview of each party’s environmental platform promises and concludes that a Conservative win today will be a huge setback for those concerned about climate change, pollution, and the need to invest in and promote the use of clean technologies.

If you don’t feel like reading about it, you can listen to a shorter version of the column via podcast.

My column in today’s Toronto Star laments the fact that the environment was almost completely overlooked during this federal election campaign. It also gives a quick overview of each party’s environmental platform promises and concludes that a Conservative win today will be a huge setback for those concerned about climate change, pollution, and the need to invest in and promote the use of clean technologies.

If you don’t feel like reading about it, you can listen to a shorter version of the column via podcast.

Experts are again predicting that we could soon be heading toward $100 oil, largely because of proposed U.N. trade sanctions against Iran that could curb its oil exports, further constricting the supply of oil to the world market. The $100 mark is a tremendous psychological barrier that, if cracked, would mean exciting days for cleantech investors.

Great post from Joel Makower on the challenge of getting consumers who support “green” products to begin practising what they preach. He points out the chronic 4/40 gap — the fact that 40 per cent of consumers say they would purchase ”green” products if available, but only 4 per cent actually do. I struggled with this same issue in the area of consumer privacy protection. Surveys say 80 to 90 per cent of North Americans cherish their privacy, but few of them are willing to take the actions necessary to protect it. You know what I’m talking about — the willingess to hand over personal information just to get a $5 coupon off a product. Air Miles is a perfect example of a popular program that offers little in exchange for details of your life.

Makower says the solution to the green market dilemma, or at least part of it, is a combination of things: increasing consumer awareness and choice; promoting innovative policies, accelerating demand for greener products; demand corporate accountability; and encouraging sustainable business practices.

These all make great sense. But let me add one pet peeve as a consumer trying to be green: corporations often sell “green” products at a premium for no reason. I realize that as demand increases prices will eventually fall, but I fail to see why I must pay a hefty premium for biodegradable baby wipes that can be flushed down the toilet or coffee filters that aren’t bleached. For example, I was at the local Loblaws store last week and purchased bleach-free “green” coffee filters. When I got home I realized I paid a 60 per cent premium?

Am I wrong in thinking both of these products could be manufactured for less? I think demand for green products does exist, and people are willing to pay if they don’t feel they’re being ripped off.