With both the legislative and executive branches of our government abandoning any meaningful role in keeping the planet in decent shape for the grandkids, I'm glad to see that our industry is taking up some of the slack until sanity returns. In fact, 2003 has seen several exciting developments from electronics companies that looked past next quarter's numbers to discover that building a green future is simply part of a good business strategy.

While it doesn't talk much about its accomplishments, Hewlett-Packard has a long history of business-savvy environmental actions. But it was only when I read Raymond Communications' recently updated report on global electronics recycling regulations that I learned how HP's packaging division has pioneered green packaging concepts over the past decade. Paul Russell and his team have managed to cut costs by unifying the company's operating polices to use recyclable materials, reduce toxics and promote heavy use of recycled content across all its product lines. HP also actively supports third-party recycling businesses by allowing them to recycle their inkjet cartridges using one of HP's patented technologies at no charge. It is also one of the first signatories to the World Economic Forum's Global Greenhouse Gas Register, which will help monitor and manage worldwide climate emissions.

Matsushita Electric is another deeply committed company that keeps its activities quiet. Last year alone, it invested more than $400 million in initiatives in green design, recycling and technologies. David Thompson and his environmental group have also supported nearly every major product take-back program in the United States.

Meanwhile, companies like Cypress Semiconductor challenge the wisdom of the oil-soaked energy policies of the Washington mainstream. Cypress' bottom-line-oriented CEO, T.J. Rodgers, is currently in the process of outfitting the roofs of his San Jose, Calif., campus with enough solar cells to supply most of the electricity needed to run the buildings. Payback period? Around seven years-even if electricity prices stay flat.

And speaking of energy, STMicroelectronics and Philips are generating the electricity for their new jointly operated 300-mm fab using an on-site fuel cell cogeneration plant. Besides using 40 percent to 50 percent less fuel to make the electricity, the facility reclaims the cells' "waste" heat in its heating, ventilation and air-conditioning operations. This should help move STM much closer to its goal of reducing its contribution to global warming to zero by 2010.

While private initiatives like these can only do so much, they do help dispel the myth that business and environmental interests cannot coexist. Hopefully, they will point the way to a shift in public policy back toward the center, where we can achieve a balance.

http://www.eet.com