Make:

The Pharos Lens: one "green nutrition label" project

Companies at CES may be starting to equate being green with making green:

Consumers will soon look for more information on how a product was manufactured, what the packaging consists of, and what materials are used inside, according to research published as CES begins.

The report, prepared by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), it suggests people will pay more for truly green products.

"Green is becoming a purchasing factor," said Steve Koening, director of industry analysts at the CEA, which organises the giant annual Consumer Electronics Show. "More than half are willing to pay a little more for 'green'," said Mr Koening. "22 percent said they were willing to pay up to 15 percent more for it."

The conversion to a green mind-state is pushing up the demand for greener gadgets.

Last year's CES -- the largest electronics exhibition anywhere -- ushered in a eco-friendly atmosphere with the introduction of 500 feet of floor space dedicated to cleaner technologies.

This year that space has grown to more than 3000 square feet, featuring companies like Fuji with Environmax batteries, and even Motorola featuring what it claims to be a cleaner cell-phone.

But, the CEA report also said that consumers are very skeptical about the green claims made by hi-tech firms for their products.

More than 38 percent of those interviewed by the CEA said they were confused by green product claims and 58 percent wanted to know the specific attributes that prompted hi-tech firms to label their products green.

One can debate the relative social responsibility of any CES participant until the cows generate biogas. I for one will take any news that companies feel being actually, demonstrably greener helps them make more money as a good sign!