The proliferation of green-themed exhibitions at the New York Auto Show could be a sign of things to come for not just the auto industry, but American enterprise in general, analysts say.
The New York Times reports that the show is "the biggest eat-your-peas auto affair of recent memory, offering next to nothing in high-zoot style, speed or concept cars that hadn't already been seen elsewhere." That said, the newspaper also notes that there was a distinct lack of the type of gloom-and-doom seen at previous events.
Recent consumer electronics shows have followed a similar pattern, with a significant green technology presence at everything from CES to CeBIT to the more recent CTIA Wireless convention. Energy-efficiency in everything from laptop PCs to business projectors has rapidly become a hot trend.
Experts say that the economic crisis helped to make business leaders aware of the importance that green technology can play for their firms, both for the bottom line and for the company's carbon footprint, since proposals for carbon taxes are still being considered as a means to minimize the impact of U.S. industry on the environment.
