To date, there has not been much systematic and coordinated effort among Asian companies, governments or society at large to try and track the scale of potential environmental problems. If we're to solve tomorrow's environmental challenges - like energy efficiency, recycling and waste disposal, and the impact of a warming climate - we first need to track and measure our environmental impact.

Across the globe, white collar and service industry workers are abandoning their offices. They are working, instead, from their homes, their cars, coffee shops and public spaces. Thanks to technology, work has become something we do, and not a place we go.

“Everywhere but out of sight…simply put, 21st century life would not be possible without leadacid batteries.” (Battery Council International, 2004) Batteries smooth out the load from electrical utilities provide backup power for telephone companies, power twoway radio, mobile phone and computer systems—in fact, batteries play a hidden but fundamental support role in nearly every kind of IT system.