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1.what is green?
The above articles were a series published in the Peninsula Pulse newspaper, Door County, Wisconsin. |
On The Green: By Virge Temme, AIA Chapter 5: Green... or Greenwash? In 1990, on the 20th anniversary of Earth Day, the event became a global celebration, with people around the world rejoicing in gains made in environmental awareness, as well as protesting against companies that were harming the planet while advertising themselves as environmentally friendly. It was time of bringing world-wide attention to the need for environmentally sustainable life practices. And it ushered in a new word to the English language which has been surfacing recently in home magazine articles: "Greenwashing." Greenwashing is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as "disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image." For the past 11 years The Green Life has published an annual listing of "The Ten Worst Greenwashers" which has exposed large corporations such as BP, Ford, Starbucks, and others. The Washington Post has recently published a series of exposes entitled, "Big Green", which reveals some environmentally questionable motives by even the most esteemed environmental groups. It is a troubling trend we are witnessing in the corporate world. It is equally disturbing, although not surprising, to see the same sort of greenwashing now taking place at the level of residential design and building. "Green" is a hot commodity and many companies see potential profit in advertising themselves as "green" or "sustainable." In order to protect themselves from green-scams, homeowners must become well-informed, so they can tell what is green and what is merely greenwash. The Natural Choice Directory, an on-line green building source, offers sound advice for selecting a green architect/contractor. First of all, arm yourself with knowledge. Go on-line and research green products and systems. Read books and magazines focused on sustainable design and products. Locate green-building seminars and workshops you can attend. (The Midwest Renewable Energy Association is a good, local resource.) Have some information solidly under your cap before you start talking with potential designers or builders. Then check their experience. Do they have specific projects in which they used sustainable practices or products? Have they taken recent classes in green building practices? Are they involved members of local, state, or national green organizations? Do they have a broad library of books, magazines, product information and samples that suggest they are informed about current sustainable practices? Ask how their business operates: do they recycle in the office as well as on the jobsite? Is the car they drive one that conserves fuel? Do they have energy efficient lighting fixtures in their offices? Are they knowledgeable about various green strategies for the home, offering statistics, payback, manufacturing processes of materials, etc.? Do they provide educational opportunities on sustainable practices to their employees? Are they willing to include sustainable products in the design specifications? Evaluating and selecting green products for your home is infinitely more involved. There is not enough room in this one column to detail all the criteria a homeowner should consider when selecting a green product. However, an excellent source of guidance is the Whole Building Design Guide, which can be found at www.wbdg.org. This offers a very comprehensive discussion of durability, embodied energy, indoor air quality, building performance rating systems, and many, many other critical and essential elements that one must consider when selecting sustainable products. All this sounds like so much more work than planning a typical home.and it is. In order for a home to be successfully green, the education and commitment of the homeowner is the key fundamental ingredient. People who take the time to commit to this discovery process reap many worthwhile rewards: cleaner air to breath; a more harmonious and pleasant interior and exterior environment; lower energy bills; and a full understanding of the design and operation of their single most valuable possession: their home. |