the only problem now is we don’t measure that relationship..so really we don’t know the answer.

All good.

Thanks

I aired by concerns in a comment on the, Reacting to the trend towards Free, topic where I criticised the conventional (and flawed) business model, which encourages a throwaway culture through planned obsolescence and as you mentioned and perceived obsolescence (incremental innovation) in a bid to maintain their revenues.

I personally believe that the concerns of the people behind The Story of Stuff are warranted as the Industrial Era economic model has done enormous damage to the natural environment,but it cannot last much longer, especially as more people in the Third World begin to demand the sorts of lifestyles that those of us in the West have become accustomed to, but thankfully there are alternatives.

There has been much research done that contends that ICT industry has tremendous potential to reduce the negative impact that we have on the environment. One of is here.
http://www.aci-citizenresearch.org/Final%20Green%20Benefits.pdf

I think that geeks (who are now the technology trendsetters) are not necessarily uncaring about the impact that they have on the environment, but they are both unaware of how large their impact is and perceive that it is possible to reconcile their concern for the environment with their desire for the latest and greatest technology.

I personally blame the myopia and lack of imagination of the corporate bosses for this sad state of affairs, but thankfully I believe that in the near future we will witness a paradigm shift from the outdated Industrial Economy where passive consumption is the norm to a far more participatory Information Economy where the line between producers and consumers becomes very vague, which is exemplifed by Eric von Hippel’s Democratizing Innovation and the work of Michel Bauwens at the Foundation for P2P alternatives.

http://www.ideaconnection.com/articles/00010-Democratizing-Innovation-The-Shift-of-Innovation.html

http://www.p2pfoundation.net/Main_Page

I think one company that is on the right track, is Nokia, with their Eco Sensor concept, which combined with an open access mobile network like Verizon’s, could be the trendsetting product that leads the way for the rest of the industry in reducing the harm that electronic goods does to the environment and services envisioned by Dana Blankenhorn in his Always On technology proposition.
http://www.nokia.com/A4707477

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20071127-verizon-opens-up-will-support-any-device-any-app-on-its-network.html

http://www.danablankenhorn.com/alwayson/index.html

I can’t stand all these greenie lunatics.

Thanks for sharing