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Cool. I think there is a need for them and they can be used effectively without disturbing anyone.
Interesting. Now, that is the one thing that MIGHT do more harm than good. There will be great century old homes that need and should be restored to their original beauty w/ some modernization for comfortable living now. What is going to happen though is they are going to lose their appeal and be torn down and replaced w/ homes that all look alike. I think there can be TOO MUCH "conservation" going on that destroys perfectly fine buildings/homes because they don't live up to a certain standard. I really don't want to see that and this is coming from someone that LOVES architecture.
you get penalized very heavily for ripping out existing structures. lol Its a damned if you do and damned if you dont situation in boulder.
the town i live in has just opened up another pedestrian bridge across the river! now it will be easier for us bikers and walkers to get from one point in town to the next. once they finish the Vandalia Rail Trail East late 08/early09 you will be able to go just about anywhere in town on the Greenway system and make very few stops. the new bridge is the 4th one to cross the river on the Greenway system.
hello, what do you think? has America made progress on going green from a few years ago? are we right on track in terms of errasing our carbon footprint?
As long as we are worried about our carbon footprint we are either headed in the wrong direction or at the very least distracted from real issues like becoming energy independent with renewable sources of energy. However, to the extent that the whole CO2 scheme leads us to nuclear energy that is a good thing.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Immediate Conservation has not been heavily promoted, and is essential to make inroads. We (USA) are too wasteful, too spread out, and for most part do not have an energy / recycle / reuse consciousness.
The states should have got into a competition on % conservation, and federal funding could have been an incentive. (I'm not a promoter of "mandates")
I would guess there is a 30% conservation potential with some pain and ownership attached.
The transition to Green needs to be practical and most of the LEED projects are way 'over-the-top' on restrictions for compliance. It is possible to get the energy and the Green w/o spending so much on certifications. It takes an environmental mindset, and economically we are creating too much "dis-incentive". When something is a fad, the sleaze profiteers weasel in, and the whole thing wreaks.
think simple, practical, sustainable - not mega $$$, trendy, irrational. A good example is the shower / tub drain heat exchangers.... How about using minimal water and temp for a shower? I will assure you the heat they would get from my 1-2 gallon 'cool' showers are not gonna 'recover' much energy, for the $1,000 unit cost. (and the energy that goes into making them) As often the case... overkill...not practical.
I was an environmental steward for one of the largest US based consumer electronics firms, and the hoops we had to jump through to meet worldwide standards carried a heavy cost burden that could have been invested in rational solutions. Too bad.
the local high school that recently opened up here is energy efficient no water urinals, there is more natural lighting,there are small windmills on top of the building to catch energy.
"Going green" is a fad, as it was back in the late 80's, the last time it was tried. Once gas comes back down to $2.**, it will fade away again.
you're right! it is/was just a fad. the reality is that oil will come down a bit but that's just temporary whilst the 3rd world catches up to our consumption then prices will go crazy again.
my advice, if you're in the market for anything make sure it lasts long (the greenest choice you can make after not buying anything) and make sure it's energy efficient. if it isn't and prices do go mad again then save the moaning and groaning for the walls
I think America is going in the wrong direction. As other posts have mentioned, a lot of the Green movement has turned into a "buy more crap" movement. Until Americans are weaned from the urge to buy more than will ever make them happy, we will not be green. We cannot buy our way to a sustainable future. I'm not sure what needs to happen to change the American 'throw it away even though it works fine and get a new one with more features' culture.
I think America is going in the wrong direction. As other posts have mentioned, a lot of the Green movement has turned into a "buy more crap" movement. Until Americans are weaned from the urge to buy more than will ever make them happy, we will not be green. We cannot buy our way to a sustainable future. I'm not sure what needs to happen to change the American 'throw it away even though it works fine and get a new one with more features' culture.
exactly!!! i'm gonna be building in the next year or so and have been watching a few of the "green renovation" shows to get some ideas. for he most part people are just spending more and more buying more and more crap which will be torn down and chucked out in 5, 10, 15 years. i don't consider that green. my grandfathers house in europe is 400 years young. it was retrofitted with electricity in the 60's and i think they replaced the roof about 20 years ago. imo that's green
in the old days, quality and durability were the hallmarks of a good brand. nowadays we buy everything cheap and replace all the time
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As often the case... overkill...not practical.
