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The real versus artificial Christmas tree debate replays itself year after year. But the truth is, each option has its own place on the naughty-and-nice list.

Just a few short decades ago, displaying a Christmas tree in your living room really only yielded one option: a real pine or fir tree. That all changed when a U.S.-based toilet bowl brush manufacturer, the Addis Brush Company, created an artificial tree from brush bristles in the 1930s, acting as the prototype for modern artificial trees.

The Pros and Cons of Artificial Trees

Guilt. Many have made it the sole reason to invest in an artificial tree. The thought of cutting down a new tree each year can put a damper on the holidays for some.

Also, cost, convenience and environmental impact are other reasons consumers opt for an artificial tree.

Given the current economic climate, artificial trees may be especially appealing for their investment value when compared with the recurrent, annual expense of a real Christmas tree. Their convenience is also appealing to consumers as they don’t need watering, don’t leave pine needles all over the floor and transportation from tree farm to home isn’t an issue.

But many experts believe artificial trees actually have a greater negative environmental impact when all aspects of an their life cycle are considered.

Today’s artificial trees are typically manufactured with metal and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a non-biodegradable, petroleum-derived plastic. In addition, many older varieties may contain lead, used as a stabilizer in the manufacturing process.

Despite their PVC contents, artificial trees are non-recyclable and non-biodegradable, meaning they will sit in a landfill for centuries after disposal.

Furthermore, approximately 85 percent of artificial trees sold in the U.S. are imported from China, according to the National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA), adding to their overall environmental footprint.

The Pros and Cons of Real Trees

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Approximately 33 million real Christmas trees are sold in North America each year, according to the U.S. EPA. Luckily, about 93 percent of those trees are recycled through more than 4,000 available recycling programs.

Also known as “treecycling,” the act of recycling a Christmas tree is a leading reason many experts agree they are more environmentally friendly than their plastic counterparts.

SEE: Everything You Need to Know About Treecycling

Treecycling is an easy way to return a renewable and natural source back to the environment instead of disposing it in a landfill, where decomposition rates are slowed due to lack of oxygen.

Christmas trees are recycled into mulch and used in landscaping and gardening or chipped and used for playground material, hiking trails, paths and walkways. They can be used for beachfront erosion prevention, lake and river shoreline stabilization and fish and wildlife habitat.

A single farmed tree absorbs more than 1 ton of CO2 throughout its lifetime. With more than 350 million real Christmas tress growing in U.S. tree farms alone, you can imagine the yearly amount of carbon sequestering associated with the trees. Additionally, each acre of trees produces enough oxygen for the daily needs of 18 people.

In order to ensure a healthy supply of Christmas trees each year, growers must use sustainable farming techniques. For each tree harvested, one to three seedlings are planted the following spring, ensuring a healthy supply of trees.

According to the NCTA, the Christmas tree industry employs more than 100,000 Americans, an important economic consideration in the real versus artificial debate.

Besides the aforementioned cons associated with real Christmas trees, they are farmed as agricultural products, meaning repeated applications of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers may be used throughout their lifetime. The ideal tree would be raised organically, using integrated pest management techniques rather than chemicals.

Another con associated with real Christmas trees may depend on where you live. For climates where coniferous trees don’t grow, that tree in your living room may have had to travel hundreds of miles to reach the lot, significantly impacting the environmental impact associated with travel. However, a tree trucked from a couple states away is still traveling thousands of miles less than one from overseas.

The Verdict?

So, what’s the final word? Drumroll please… Real trees top our charts for holiday adornment. Even though they might shed needles on your floor, the investment in a U.S.-based product, the carbon-neutral nature of their production and their ease of recycling make them a clear winner.

Just a few short decades ago, displaying a Christmas tree in your living room really only yielded one option: a real pine or fir tree. That all changed when a U.S.-based toilet bowl brush manufacturer, the Addis Brush Company, created an artificial tree from brush bristles in the 1930s, acting as the prototype for modern artificial trees.

Artificial trees became increasingly popular, with sales jumping to 17.4 million in 2007. Photo: sxc.hu

The Pros and Cons of Artificial

Guilt. Many have made it the sole reason to invest in an artificial tree. The thought of cutting down a new tree each year can put a damper on the holidays for some.

Also, cost, convenience and environmental impact are other reasons consumers opt for an artificial tree.

Given the current economic climate, artificial trees may be especially appealing for their investment value when compared with the recurrent, annual expense of a real Christmas tree. Their convenience is also appealing to consumers as they don’t need watering, don’t leave pine needles all over the floor and transportation from tree farm to home isn’t an issue.

But many experts believe artificial trees actually have a greater negative environmental impact when all aspects of an their life cycle are considered.

Today’s artificial trees are typically manufactured with metal and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a non-biodegradable, petroleum-derived plastic. In addition, many older varieties may contain lead, used as a stabilizer in the manufacturing process.

Despite their PVC contents, artificial trees are non-recyclable and non-biodegradable, meaning they will sit in a landfill for centuries after disposal.

Furthermore, approximately 85 percent of artificial trees sold in the U.S. are imported from China, according to the National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA), adding to their overall environmental footprint.

The Pros and Cons of Real

There are about 500,000 acres in production for growing Christmas trees. Each acre provides the daily oxygen requirements of 18 people. Photo: Flickr/looseends

Approximately 33 million real Christmas trees are sold in North America each year, according to the U.S. EPA. Luckily, about 93 percent of those trees are recycled through more than 4,000 available recycling programs.

Also known as “treecycling,” the act of recycling a Christmas tree is a leading reason many experts agree they are more environmentally friendly than their plastic counterparts.

Treecycling is an easy way to return a renewable and natural source back to the environment instead of disposing it in a landfill, where decomposition rates are slowed due to lack of oxygen.

Christmas trees are recycled into mulch and used in landscaping and gardening or chipped and used for playground material, hiking trails, paths and walkways. They can be used for beachfront erosion prevention, lake and river shoreline stabilization and fish and wildlife habitat.

A single farmed tree absorbs more than 1 ton of CO2 throughout its lifetime. With more than 350 million real Christmas tress growing in U.S. tree farms alone, you can imagine the yearly amount of carbon sequestering associated with the trees. Additionally, each acre of trees produces enough oxygen for the daily needs of 18 people.

In order to ensure a healthy supply of Christmas trees each year, growers must use sustainable farming techniques. For each tree harvested, one to three seedlings are planted the following spring, ensuring a healthy supply of trees.

According to the NCTA, the Christmas tree industry employs more than 100,000 Americans, an important economic consideration in the real versus artificial debate.

Besides the aforementioned cons associated with real Christmas trees, they are farmed as agricultural products, meaning repeated applications of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers may be used throughout their lifetime. The ideal tree would be raised organically, using integrated pest management techniques rather than chemicals.

Another con associated with real Christmas trees may depend on where you live. For climates where coniferous trees don’t grow, that tree in your living room may have had to travel hundreds of miles to reach the lot, significantly impacting the environmental impact associated with travel. However, a tree trucked from a couple states away is still traveling thousands of miles less than one from overseas.

An Even Better Option

Go one step further than the real versus artificial debate and consider a living, potted tree this Christmas. Though not feasible for everybody due to climate and land availability, living trees are brought into the home for about 10 days, then replanted after Christmas. If you don’t have the land for replanting, your local parks department will likely accept your tree for planting after the holidays.

The Verdict?

So what’s the final word? Drumroll please… Real trees top our charts for holiday adornment. Even though they might shed needles on your floor, the investment in a U.S.-based product, the carbon-neutral nature of their production and their ease of recycling make them a clear winner.

Lilly's "Sibling Soaker" is a homemade dunking booth made of common household items. Photo: PBS Kids

Launched in celebration of Earth Day 2010 in April, the “Trash to Treasure” contest challenged kids ages 5-19 to spend their summer vacations rethinking everyday waste by recycling, reusing and re-engineering objects into the next green invention.

The “Trash to Treasure” competition is part of Design Squad’s mission to get kids involved in engineering to see how it can make a difference in the world around them.

Inventions needed to fit into one of the three categories: move things or people (Mobility), protect the environment (Environmental), or be used for indoor or outdoor play (Play).

Inventions also needed to be made of at least two repurposed materials such as fabric, paper, plastic, small electronics, springs, batteries, wood, bike parts, rubber bands, cardboard, kitchen gadgets, etc. Kids were given online tools to sketch out their ideas or upload a photo, although they did not need to build their invention in order to enter.

New York sisters, Lilly, 12, and Maryann, 14, made the family proud with two grand prize wins, rounded out by New Jersey teen Daniel, 14. The winning invention included a water saving toilet device, a homemade dunk tank and a bicycle that protects from rain and snow, while also equipped to hold a student’s backpack.

Boston-based design firm Continuum brought the inventions to life, which are set to be featured on a PBS Design Squad spin-off series, aligned with the show’s mission to get kids involved in engineering and see how it can make a difference in the world around them.

“We were amazed with the quality of entries this year,” says Design Squad Executive Producer Marisa Wolsky. “Kids were so innovative in their use of discarded materials to create fun inventions that help the environment and improve their lives. With the help of Continuum, we were able to bring those ideas to life.”

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At a workshop last year in New Delhi, Vijai Sharma, secretary of India’s Ministry of Environment and Forest, announced that the country produces more than 165 million tons of trash each day. Photo: Flickr/acameronhuff

The third country in the world to implement such a tribunal, after Australia and New Zealand, India’s creation of a separate judiciary system for environmental cases aims to alleviate a backlogged court system, while holding polluters to a greater financial liability.

Justice Lokeshwar Singh Panta has been named Chairperson of the Tribunal, which “has been empowered to issue directions for the compensation and restitution of damage caused from actions of environmental negligence,” according to the Ministry of Environment and Forests. In doing so, this represents the first body of its kind required by a parent statue to apply the “polluter pays principle.”

The tribunal is to be comprised of environmental expert members, qualified to rule on technical cases related to water quality, forestry practices and toxic waste among others.

Though the tribunal is clearly a step in the right direction, it isn’t India’s first stab at trying environmental cases through separate judiciary bodies. The National Environment Tribunal was established in 1995 to handle cases related to hazardous waste, with the National Environment Appellate Authority created two years later to focus on industry-related clearances challenged by the public.

Critics of both bodies have deemed them largely unsuccessful, with many cases bypassing the appellate level for higher courts. A July 7 op-ed piece in The Hindu, written shortly after passage of the National Green Tribunal Act, paints a dim picture of public opinion surrounding the tribunal. The piece cites ambiguity in parties responsible for damage payments and industry appeal allowances as two faults, pointed out by retired Supreme Court Justice N. Venkatachala.

Regardless of previous downfalls in this area, those optimistic about the tribunal praise its necessity. India has been plagued with issues accompanying growing industrialization, including pollution of waterways and air, along with a growing problem of electronic waste generation and informal recycling practices.

Though importation of e-waste into India has been and remains a problem, India’s population and growing usage of technology is likely forcing a turning point in obsolete electronics generation. In a joint 2010 Arizona State University-Nankai University (China) study, “Forecasting Global Generation of Obsolete Personal Computers”, results showed “that the volume of obsolete PCs generated in developing regions will exceed that of developed regions by 2016-2018.”

The study estimates obsolete PC generation in developing countries at 400-700 million units by 2030, doubling estimates for developed regions. With that level of generation, impacts of informal recycling practices weigh heavily, with India currently facing great health and environmental hazards due to unregulated operations.

India also faces a growing problem of trash generation, with more than a billion people producing 165 million tons each day. Rapid urbanization and unplanned development, along with relatively low municipal recycling rates, have left the country struggling to meet the demand for waste management.

Though India has a long list of environmental issues, not unlike other countries, its passing of the Tribunal Act and establishment of the judiciary body is indicative of recent acts that spread the environmental message loud and clear, including Monday’s urging by a government panel to deny construction rights of a $12 billion South Korean steel plant because of environmental concerns.

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At this year’s CEATEC exhibition in Tokyo, an international crowd was clearly present and taking notes. The electronics exhibition, similar to the Consumer Electronics Showcase held in the U.S., is the place to be if “coming soon” electronics are on your radar. This year, green tech was a dominating theme as it was showcased everywhere from home appliances to electric vehicles.

Earth911.com was in Japan to tour this year’s CEATEC and take a look into the future of green technology. We were also invited to tour various Panasonic facilities around Japan, including its Eco Ideas House outside of Tokyo and its Eco Technology Center and home appliance manufacturing facility near Osaka.

The plug-in Toyota Prius, set for release in 2012, was on display in the garage of the Panasonic Eco Ideas House. A relatively small plug-in station in the garage charges the vehicle overnight as part of a complete home energy management system. Photo: Panasonic

Though the list was long, we found five of our favorite trends and concepts from the week. Here’s a glimpse of the green tech we can expect to see, “coming soon,” in the U.S.

1. Electric Vehicles

The 2011 model year is likely to draw a bit more attention than normal as electric vehicles (EVs) are about to take center stage in the automotive world, with the highly anticipated U.S. release just around the corner.

The Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt are expected to hit showrooms end of 2010, both featuring a lithium-ion battery pack charged through a plug-in outlet.

The Leaf is set to be the first mass-market EV released in the U.S., capable of traveling 100 miles on a single charge. The Volt, on the other hand, is a bit of an EV hybrid as it combines electric battery-stored power with a four-cylinder gasoline-fueled engine.

Other automakers are set to release EV hybrids in 2011 as well, including BMW, Volkswagen and Porsche, among others. Though new to market in the States, EVs have been in the works in Japan for quite some time. Catching sight of an EV on the road is becoming even more common as the Mitsubishi i-MiEV went to market earlier this year.

The challenge to make public charging station infrastructure match up with demand is something Japan is working through and is something the U.S. can surely expect for 2011 as well.

Touring the Panasonic “Eco Ideas” House outside Tokyo, we couldn’t help but notice the plug-in Toyota Prius parked in the garage. Set for release in 2012, it appears Panasonic’s green technology developments were a major driver in bringing this and other EVs to market.

Panasonic recently completed a majority acquisition of Sanyo, a leader is smart energy generation and storage technology, including solar panels and lithium-ion battery technologies. Sanyo’s sophistication in green tech appears to have lent well to Panasonic’s goal of becoming the No. 1 green innovation company in the electronics industry by 2018.

Panasonic considers the garage part of its “one more room” concept, in which the power of the vehicle is just one more home electronic to add to its smart grid system of energy management.

2. Comprehensive Home Energy Management

Smart energy-efficient home appliances were featured prominently at Panasonic's CEATEC showroom. Photo: Lori Brown, Earth911.com

The idea of a comprehensive home energy management system was was featured prominently as the core of Panasonic’s CEATEC exhibition.

The home energy management system, known as HEMS, with Panasonic’s Smart Energy Gateway (SEG) at its core, provides a complete means of monitoring energy creation, storage and savings occurring in the home.

The tech giant aims to bring the concept of virtually zero CO2 emission-free homes to realization in just a few short years, with the means of doing so on display at its Panasonic Center Eco Ideas House.

By connecting all home appliances and environmental technologies together, HEMS visualizes the amount of energy used in the entire house and displays the progress made toward energy-saving targets for the homeowners to see. HEMS provides advice on a central control panel to support energy-saving activities in the home.

In the triad of creating, storing and saving energy, Panasonic’s lineup of cutting-edge green technologies take central stage, including the household fuel cell ENE-FARM unit (energy creation), solar power generation system (energy creation) and lithium-ion household storage battery (energy storage).

3. Smart Home Appliances

While household fuel cells and solar panels create energy and household storage batteries store energy, efficient smart home appliances complete the triad in the “saving” category.

From a tilted-drum washer/dryer combination that utilizes heat pump technology for rapid drying to a refrigerator that memorizes time-of-use patterns, these appliances are meant to cut CO2 emissions associated with home energy use dramatically.

When we say smart home appliances, we literally mean smart. Take the Panasonic Eco Navi air conditioner unit, which comes equipped with an ultrasonic sensor to detect thermal energy and determine the locations and activity-levels of individuals in the room.

Using heat pump and inverter technology, the air-conditioner unit can tell the difference between a person sitting on the couch reading a book – a low activity level – to a person vacuuming in the room – a higher activity level – and adjusts the direction and air current accordingly. The unit can sense the number of people, sun rays and obstacles in a room to control the power appropriately. We jokingly asked if it can provide you a tissue when it knows you are weeping as well! (Unfortunately, it cannot.)

3-D displays took center stage at Japan's CEATEC show. Photo: Lori Brown, Earth911

The Panasonic Eco Navi refrigerator seems to navigate a fine line between smart and spying as its motion, temperature and light sensors work together to monitor usage patterns and control energy consumption.

If you tend to visit the fridge each morning for breakfast, then not again until dinnertime, the appliance will set energy patterns to control cooling. A light sensor determines time of day and may allow the inside temperature to rise a degree or so in the middle of the night, keeping it low enough to avoid any spoilage risks.

The refrigerator is already available for sale in Japan, while the newest model of the inverter air-conditioner unit is set for sale in Japan Oct. 21. Panasonic does have a global expansion plan for the home appliances, so look for the gadgets “coming soon.”

4. Fun, High-Tech Gadgets

Though green technology was highest on our radar while walking around CEATEC and other facilities, we definitely took note of the occasional high-tech new gadgets. Okay, truth is, we couldn’t help but to take notice as one step into CEATEC drew the eyes immediately to massive 3-D HD screens, with crowds of glasses-wearing onlookers dodging soccer balls formed at its base.

3-D took center stage at CEATEC this year, with all the big players showcasing their latest innovations in the technology. Sony ran 3-D video clips on a massive screen that must have spanned 50-feet in length. Toshiba drew crowds to a line rivaling those found for a theme park ride with its 56-inch glasses-less 3-D LED LCD television prototype, due to hit markets in Japan later this year. Sharp also displayed smaller versions of the glasses-less 3-D LCD screens.

Panasonic featured a massive multi-television conglomerate of 3-D screens in a home theater setting, though cutting-edge tech aficionados appeared more drawn to the first-of-its-kind 3-D HD home video recorder and 3-D lens for SLR cameras. For the first time, individuals can digitize home memories through high-quality 3-D video and photo using the new technology.

5. Designing for Dismantling

Of all the 3-D, electric vehicle and home energy management technologies proudly displayed in Japan, two smaller concepts resonated with us and provided a great take-back with a recycling message.

CRT TV's at PETEC enter a disassembling line, where critical components must be taken apart by hand. Photo: Lori Brown, Earth911

After touring the Panasonic Eco Technology Center (PETEC) in Kato City, where 700,000 home appliance units are recycled annually, facility President Kazuyuki Tomita explained that “designing for dismantling” is a concept on the forefront of all Panasonic manufacturing operations.

In fact, all Panasonic product designers are required to spend weeks at PETEC to better understand how the products they design are taken apart at end-of-useful-life.

Each screw, panel, cord and material of a product must be accounted for in the recycling operations at PETEC, an incredibly labor-intensive process. By designing products thinner, smarter and with fewer components and varieties of materials, a product becomes easier to dismantle and recycle down the road, something critical in Japan following the implementation of the Home Appliance Recycling Law in 2001.

The consumer-fee oriented recycling law added additional materials in 2009, making it illegal to dispose of CRT TVs, air conditioner units, refrigerator/freezers, washing machines, clothes dryers, LCD TV’s and other appliances in a landfill. For an industry that is designing new products faster than old ones are becoming obsolete, this law is critical and contributes to the recycling of 18 million home appliance units per year.

Takumi Kajisha, managing executive officer of Corporate Communications for Panasonic Corporation, illustrated a second concept at a dinner event in Kyoto where he explained that many areas of Japan, including Kyoto, don’t subscribe to the 3Rs of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle; rather they subscribe to the 4Rs of Repair, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

Perhaps a cousin to reuse, repairing an item is first and foremost the most important task in resource management. A strange dichotomy in a country where new technologies are manufactured quicker than others are sold out of showrooms, yet still an important concept supporting the local principle of using everything to its fullest.

Known as a household fuel cell, the energy generation unit has the ability to supply 60 percent of a family’s power needs through more sustainable means, a concept that manufacturers are hoping draws green tech “first adopters” to the product.

A fuel cell (center) and hot water storage unit (right), along with a Li-on storage battery (left) on display at Panasonic's "Eco Ideas" House. Photo: Panasonic

Unlike electricity from a battery, which provides a limited amount from a stored supply, fuel cells can create a continuous generation of electricity through an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen, extracted from natural gas and oxygen.

Because the reaction between hydrogen and oxygen produce only water, which is used for household hot water, the absence of toxic waste provides an added environmental benefit to the technology.

Household fuel cell units also allow for the direct conversion into electrical energy on-site, like a mini power station, increasing efficiency from traditional means which transport energy produced from off-site sources. An estimated 63 percent of energy is lost during transmission to a household with traditional means of energy-sourcing, versus 15 percent with a fuel cell unit.

Panasonic launched the world’s first household fuel cell in May 2009 and has sold approximately 2,000 of the units to date, albeit all in Japan where the technology was developed. A subsidy by the Japanese government covers approximately half of the current ¥3 million price tag (approx. $35,000) for the units, which are sold and distributed through gas companies supplying energy to households.

According to Toshiki Shimizu of the Panasonic Corporation’s Fuel Cell Project, one unit can reduce an average household’s CO2 generation by one-third, or 1.5 tons per year, and reduce primary energy consumption by 4,500kWh per year.

Earth911.com toured Panasonic’s “Eco Ideas” House outside Tokyo last week, where incorporation of the fuel cell into a complete home energy management system (HEMS) was displayed. Combined in a comprehensive system including solar panels for additional energy generation and a lithium-ion battery pack for storage of produced energy, along with energy-efficient smart appliances and high-performance insulation, the HEMS is the linchpin in Panasonic’s aim to create CO2 emission-free homes.

A display fuel cell sample at CEATEC allows visitors to map the inner technology of the unit. Photo: Lori Brown, Earth911

Clean energy, reduced CO2 generation and lower energy consumption. This triad of characteristics lend perfectly to the green technology demand on the market, leading us to question whether this technology can be expected to catch on in the U.S. anytime soon. Turns out that is a loaded question with a couple different answers.

First, the price of the household fuel cell until, even with the subsidy, does not provide a return on investment (ROI) before the unit has to be placed. So early adopters of the technology are truly looking for the environmental benefits, rather than the economic. Shimizu did indicate that bringing the price down is critical to widespread adoption, something Panasonic is working on.

Second, the fuel cell unit lends itself well to smaller households typically found in Japan. Using more energy on average per household in the U.S., the fuel cell would have to be adapted to produce around 3-5kW, rather than the 1kW it currently produces, something also on Panasonic’s radar.

So what does the market forecast for fuel cells look like? Panasonic aims to expand production to 600,000 units per year by 2020, and looks to bring the product to market in regions where current demand and infrastructure would lend well to the technology.

Production expansion will likely yield manufacturing sources outside of Japan, as the manufacturing of the units are labor-intensive and expensive. Current production yields a mere 17 units per day with 14 full-time laborers.

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Panasonic Corporation President Fumio Ohtsubo shows off the company's first manufactured product, a 1918 attachment plug that allowed Japanese household to power electric devices through light sockets in their homes. Photo: Lori Brown, Earth911.

In a crowded auditorium in Tokyo last week, Panasonic Corporation President Fumio Ohtsubo announced an aggressive action plan to become the No. 1 green innovation company in the electronics industry by its 100th anniversary in 2018.

Holding the company’s first product – a light socket attachment plug manufactured in 1918 – Ohtsubo informed the room those original attachments were made from the recycled screw-in base of Edison light bulbs.

Ninety-two years later, that spirit of ingenuity and resource utilization is being revitalized through a company-wide initiative to lead the industry in green innovation.

Panasonic says it will achieve its goal through two main innovations: the Green Life Innovation, focused on offering products that allow individuals to live a green lifestyle, and the Green Business Innovation, focused on minimizing the environmental impacts associated with manufacturing and operations.

Included in the plan is the goal to double the sales ratio of best-in-class eco-conscious products, achieve a waste recycling ratio of 99.5 percent or better, reduce total resources used and increase recycled resources used in new products and develop alternative technologies for environmentally hazardous substances.

Panasonic has also taken on a massive CO2 emission reduction goal of 120 million tons from a FY2006 base level. Included in the carbon reduction target is an impressive energy management system developed to bring the concept of CO2 emission-free homes and buildings to market.

Fumio Ohtsubo presents his company's plan to achieve the No. 1 green technology space in the electronics industry by 2018. Photo: Lori Brown, Earth911.

The Panasonic Corporation is banking on its innovation in green technology, aiming to acquire the global top share in fuel cell co-generation systems and a global top three share in the solar cell industry by 2015, leading to 30 percent of overall worldwide sales by 2018.

The announcement, which coincided with CEATEC, was one in a series of large strides Panasonic has undertaken as of late.

From 3-D HD home video recorders and camera lenses to its buzzworthy stationary household fuel cell, the company’s display featured green technology front and center, drawing in large crowds of curious spectators and gadget aficionados.

Panasonic proudly displayed its lithium-ion battery technology, made better with the recent majority acquisition of Sanyo. Sanyo’s sophistication in smart energy generation and storage technology, including solar panels and lithium-ion batteries, lends itself perfectly to the realization of Green Plan 2018.

Lithium-ion battery storage units were featured in Electric Vehicles (EV), another prominent participant at CEATEC, as well as a key component of energy storage in Panasonic’s Home Energy Management System (HEMS) technology.

After a financial crisis that hit Japan with brute force, the drive toward green technology appears to be the ace Panasonic needs to lead in an every-changing industry.

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Panasonic displayed its innovations in 3-D technology on a 33-screen display. Photo: Lori Brown, Earth911.com

Walking around the Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies (CEATEC) show in Tokyo this week, one thing kept – pardon the pun – jumping right out of the screen: 3-D technology.

The consumers that love sporting a pair of oversized glasses while dodging non-existing, yet realistically threatening, bubbles and water droplets, should get pretty excited. For the half that don’t, sincere apologies as this technology seems here to stay.

Upon entrance to the expo, the senses are put on high alert as all of the big tech players seemed to be highlighting their strides in 3-D innovation.

From an enormous Sony screen showing 3-D clips to Panasonic’s first-of-its-kind 3-D home video recorder and SLR camera lenses, show-goers gathered around the tech displays in awe.

Crowds waiting in line to catch a glimpse of Toshiba’s 56-inch glasses-less 3-D LED LCD television prototype, due to hit markets in Japan later this year. Smaller versions of the glasses-less 3-D LCD screens were also displayed by Sharp. The 3-D technology is here to stay, but the possibility of ditching those glasses is at least on the horizon.

From electric vehicles to home energy storage, lithium-ion battery technologies were prominently featured at CEATEC. Photo: Lori Brown, Earth911.com

Though 3-D amazed the crowds, we were interested in green innovation and found it nearly everywhere. Panasonic had an impressive display showcasing not only their 3-D technology, but also their best in home energy management.

Aiming to make its mark as the No. 1 green electronics company by their 100-year anniversary in 2018, Panasonic’s “Eco Ideas” platform was on display right and left.

The “Eco Navi” home appliances were impressive to say the least. We saw an air conditioning unit that adjusts temperature based on monitored activity, to a refrigerator that learns your usage patterns and switches to energy-saving mode when it knows you don’t use it.

Panasonic’s Home Energy Management System (HEMS) provides total control of all energy created, stored and saved in the home and puts that on display for the homeowner to monitor.

Utilizing a triangle of three main devices – solar panels, a stationary household fuel cell unit and a lithium-ion battery for storage – the HEMS system is Panasonic’s step toward creating CO2-emitting-free homes.

LEDs and electric vehicles with increased lithium-ion battery efficiencies were also common sights around the show. In the end, the presence of green technology innovations around the show was impressive, showcased by large companies and small alike.

Editor’s Note: Panasonic invited Earth911.com to Japan to report from CEATEC and tour its facilities in Osaka. This press trip was funded by Panasonic. However, Earth911.com does not receive compensation from Panasonic for its content.

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From the design board to the tumble dryer, textile manufacturing has a huge environmental footprint. Photo: Flickr/epSos.de

China’s problem, right? Sure. Though last time we checked, water, and air for that matter, didn’t seem too concerned about staying within China’s borders.

And it’s only clothing. It’s not like it’s steel or chemical manufacturing. How much damage could clothing manufacturing really do? Well, a lot.

Home to more than 50,000 textile mills, the environmental footprint of the textile industry in China in massive. Just 1 ton of fabric put through the dyeing and finishing process can result in the pollution of up to 200 tons of water!

Factor in the amounts of energy used for steam and hot water, and that pair of distressed blue jeans is looking a little less rustic. (Said author admits to wearing a pair of distressed blue jeans while writing this very article.)

The NRDC and a group of clothing retailers, including Walmart and H&M, have joined forces, spearheading the Responsible Sourcing Initiative (RSI), to address the rapidly increase global effect from the industry. The Initiative is part of NRDC’s larger “Clean by Design” effort, meant to address all major steps of the industry, from fiber sourcing to consumer care.

After reviewing factory performance for more than 12,000 industrial and commercial operations in China in 2007, the NRDC zeroed in on textiles and audited Chinese textiles mills in 2009 to identify cost-saving and pollution-reducing measures. Working with local government, the NRDC identified 10 simple, low-cost practices to dramatically cut water, energy and chemical use in dyeing and finishing.

From recycling of hot rinse water head to heat recovery from smokestacks, the practices can be implemented with a relatively small upfront cost and a dramatic cost savings annually.

When Walmart became aware one of its largest textile suppliers, Jiangsu Redbud Textile Company, was ranked second worst in a five-tiered public ranking system, the retail giant and partner NRDC linked up to implement the recommended initiatives.

By adopting just three of the ten “best practices,” Redbud achieved a 23 percent reduction in water use and 11 percent reduction in coal. Though Redbud did have a $72,000 one-time cost in making these improvements, that amount was recouped in cost savings after just one month.

If those percentages and savings seem small, look at them as real numbers: 70,000 tons of water per year saved by capturing cooling water; 42,000 tons of water per year saved by collecting steam condensate from dryers and 108,000 tons of water per year saved by reusing process water.

According to the NRDC, if just 100 small- to medium- sized textile mills implement the recommended improvements, China would save more than 16 million metric tons of water annually, enough to provide 12.4 million people with drinking water for an entire year.

Both Walmart and H&M will undertake pilot efforts at various key mills before bringing the effort to full scale in their supply chain. Other retailers joining NRDC in the Clean by Design effort include Gap, Levi, Nike, Marks and Spencer and Li and Fung.

Though it may be a few years before you notice these “cleaner by design” fashions in the stores, Linda Greer, Director of NRDC’s Health Program, gave Earth911 a few tips on what consumers can do now to make their fashions a bit greener. “Starting right now, consumers can make inherently better choices,” said Greer.

After buying used or vintage, Greer recommends clothing made from materials of lower environmental impact, such as organic cotton, recycled polyester or lyocell (a wood pulp-based type of rayon).

For new clothes, buying from retailers that have made a commitment to cleaning the textile industries where their products are sourced is a great way of using your purchasing power for good.

And here’s a little known fact shared by Greer: the best blue jeans are actually dark blue jeans. According to Greer, the lighter the jeans or the more stylish tears added to a pair of jeans adds to its level of distressing, a chemical intensive process done during manufacturing. Who knew!?

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In 2009 alone, consumer purchases of fair trade products generated more than $14 million for community development programs, provided to the more than 1.2 million farming families in the Fair Trade network, according to Fair Trade USA. Photo: TransFair USA

So, how is a bag of Fair Trade Certified coffee different from any other bag of coffee? Fair Trade Certified products have met strict economic, social and environmental criteria in both their production and trade.

From fair labor conditions for agricultural workers to environmentally sustainable farming methods, that bag of coffee traveled through a global supply chain of rigorous standards.

Oct. 1 marks the beginning of Fair Trade Month, dedicated to heightening awareness and education surrounding fair trade practices and the importance of purchasing agricultural products from responsible sources.

The seventh annual campaign is themed “Every Purchase Matters,” highlighting the power that each consumer has with his or her purchase.

Nearly 5.5. million pounds of Fair Trade Certified tea have been sold in U.S. markets to date, 80 percent of which is also certified organic, according to Fair Trade USA. Photo: TransFair USA

“Once limited to coffee, the U.S. consumers can now choose from more than 6,000 Fair Trade Certified products that span cosmetics, chocolate, spices, produce, grains, flowers, wine, spirits and even fashion,” said Paul Rice, president and CEO of Fair Trade USA. “The Fair Trade Certified label empowers consumers to make every purchase matter.”

Fair Trade USA (formerly TransFair USA) is the leading third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the U.S.

The nonprofit audits and certifies transactions between U.S. companies and their international suppliers, guaranteeing producers of the products were paid fair prices and wages, work in safe conditions, use environmentally sustainable farming methods and receive community development funds.

From speaking events to wine tastings, the organization hopes to register 200 events in honor of Fair Trade Month. To register your event with Fair Trade USA and download an event toolkit, tell your story or find an event near you, visit Fair Trade Month.

Check out Earth911′s Facebook and Twitter pages this week as we give away three gift bags full of fair trade goodies from tea to T-shirt, compliments of our friends at Fair Trade USA!

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