http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/005266.htmlGreen is the new the status symbol, a bemusing contrast to the granola and hemp days. Ensuring self-reliance is another factor, though not often expressed in public. People with means are now taking seriously some of the more challenging future scenarios where access to stable energy sources can no longer by assured. These people want to be prepared for these "what ifs?" and relish the thought that their foresight might be rewarded in greater personal resilience (and the peer perception thereof). London is on an island, after all.
But most of all, people are buying these gadgets simply because they are cool and fun to play with.