The .eco top level domain is the answer...or is it?

Recently at the ICANN meeting in Mexico City, it was announced that Dot Eco LLC is expected to submit an application for .eco later this year. In the onslaught of new tlds, this new green domain seemed to be all the buzz at the meeting and even afterwards. In hopes of creating a unique space on the Internet for the expression of environmental causes and companies to promote environmental programs, .eco has emerged.

To add fuel to the fire, former Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Al Gore, openly endorsed the .eco domain. In fact, his Alliance for Climate Protection has decided to partner with Dot Eco LLC in order to further promote and support this new domain.

Unlike other domain registries, the .eco domain plans to give generated profits from the .eco domain to environmental charities. This is yet another ingenious way to fund raise for non-profit environmental organizations.

In reading the news from the ICANN meeting and various other bloggers, it is no surprise that there is push back from the new tld nay-sayers. With so much invested in large .com domain portfolios, it is no wonder that they don’t want another domain out there for competition or dilution. However, I would have to wonder what .org thinks about this new venture.

It seems to me that many green initiatives and organizations already have a place on the web with .org. The examples are endless: sierraclub.org, wwf.org, greenpeace.org, and the list continues. How does .eco plan on competing with this heavily branded “do-gooders” domain? After all we have all came to the understanding that .org=organization and more often than none a non-profit cause.

Is green big enough for an Internet vertical? It is very popular now and definitely something that will continue to grow. Can you see larger corporations like google.eco or yahoo.eco for their environmental friendly practices?