This idea can’t be stated too strongly. All one has to do is see some of the videos like the ones I showed for Earth Day events to see that we absolutely need to get serious about taking more responsibility for conserving the Earth and its resources. All we need to do is take a look at Tapped or Trashed, Gasland (PBS on the topic) or Greening the Federal Government to see the challenges and some solutions for the water, resource and energy issues that face us now. We just cannot leave this for some future time to start reducing our consumption and wastefulness.
This is not a radical idea. Just look back a couple of generations and you will see that until the end of WWII, Americans had a very conservative ethic that served us well. We were certainly not perfect, but we understood how to support local communities and reuse until something was worn out. Then consumerism, fashion, planned obsolescence and shopping took over as advertising overtook our clearer-thinking minds. Take a look at the story of stuff to get a good look and rethink where we are and where we are going vs. what we need to be about.
There are some very bright spots on the horizon like corporate leaders who are truly embracing sustainability and Green. Ray Anderson with Interface carpet is one of those businessmen. Marketing strategies tell us that peer pressure is the key here be that “they’re recycling, so it must be ok” or “he’s not going to be more Green than I am” and so on. We just need to be sure we are getting the word out there and equally important, influence others to join us in Greening our buildings and workplace, including our behaviors. That’s where Thumbprint Endeavors can help!
Speaking of Thumbprint Endeavors —where we have been and what we have been about . . .
For Barret, last week focused on the CO USGBC Rocky Mountain Green 2011 April 20-21 at the Marriott Denver Tech Center. On Wednesday, he participated in the Indoor Air Quality track and on Thursday, he was the Innovations Track Manager. This conference and the many Denver Metro USGBC group’s events are informative and help Barret to stay current on Green Building practices and products as well as providing great networking opportunities.
The last couple of weeks have been very busy for Linda. She presented a session on LEED at the TMA Users Conference in mid-April in Tulsa OK, with good reviews and follow-up discussions. She was also been busy planning and delivering Earth Day 2011 events. April 21st was the Symposium on Sustainability in Health Care hosted by Wright State University and Heapy Engineering. This was a great opportunity to hear speakers, like Gail Vittori, Co-Director, Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems, James Moler, PE with Turner Construction and Erik Andersen, AIA with HOK, Inc., share their experiences and ideas on green building in Healthcare. This was follow-on event to Robin Guenther's talk in October 2010.
Be sure to say Hello and talk awhile when you see Barret in Denver or Linda at the Dayton Green Drinks. Green Drinks is now an international happening with events in just about every city. These are great casual networking events for those of us in Green-related organizations and the informal presentations where Green Ideas are informative and springboards for great discussions. Check it out, stop by and say Hi!
