Coming 2009: The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget

Earlier this month I signed another book deal with my publisher, Stewart, Tabori & Chang. The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget will be published in 2009. More than simply bringing green this go around to the cheap, lazy, couch potato set, TLE on a Budget will demonstrate how rapid green innovation is simultaneously spreading across every major industry that touches our lives as well as spawning a whole new class of green companies. Many are developing new business models to deliver value to consumers and make it easy, attractive and cost-effective to go green.

Take GoLoco.org, for example, a company that encourages suburbanites to share car rides in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For most of us, the thought of getting into a car with a stranger whether to commute to work or head to a rock concert even if it saves us money is anathema. That’s why visionary founder Robin Chase built GoLoco.org on the Facebook social networking platform so that members can create personal profiles and choose compatible ride mates.

To eliminate the stress of asking riders for gas or toll money, GoLoco.org handles all financial transactions through the website’s backend. When members agree to share a ride, the website automatically calculates the distance and cost of the ride, deducts the appropriate amount from each riders' account and adds it to the driver’s account. Testimonials on the website show how individuals, informal groups, and organizations are using the service in numerous, innovative ways. Members have gotten dates, made new best friends, and networked into dreams jobs, all while enjoyably reducing their environmental footprint. Sounds pretty sweet.

Chase is also one of the co-founders of Zipcar, now the preeminent car sharing service in the country with $100 million in annual revenue. Available in nearly 40 cities in North America plus an outpost in London, Zipcar caters to urban-based drivers. The company's success has attracted larger players to the emerging car sharing industry. Enterprise Rent-A-Car recently launched its own car sharing service – WeCar - with a pilot program at Washington University in Saint Louis, Missouri. As Zipcar and Enterprise’s WeCar expand their operations to more and more cities, both consumers and the environment will win. Car sharing studies routinely show that members of car sharing programs drive less, walk and bike more, take mass transit more often, and are less apt to purchase cars. This is neither theoretical nor wishful thinking. It’s happening now.

For Additional Car and Ride Sharing Services See:
Ride Amigos - share any kind of ride including taxicabs.
PickupPal - find a ride or even send a package.
iCarpool - smart technology enables high-precision trip matching.
City CarShare - a non-profit serving the San Francisco Bay area, offering cheap rates.
Shareling - share a roadtrip going just about anywhere around the world.
Mobility CarSharing - the Switzerland-based service is the largest car sharing community in Europe with over 30,000 members.
CarSharing.net - a comprehensive website listing nearly every local car sharing service offered in cities throughout North America and Europe. Worth a look to find a service near you.
The World CarShare Consortium - a clearinghouse for information on the global carsharing industry. Lists services in over 600 cities worldwide.

For the Budding Green Entrepreneur Check Out:
Eileo - a unique, off-the-shelf car sharing technology provider that lets you quickly launch your own car sharing service.

-- Josh