Forget about Eco-Consumerism!

I’ve written in the past about this eco-consumerism fad we’ve foundourselves in lately.  The message is good, but the practice is bad.  YES we should be making responsible planet-wise choices as consumers, but NO we should not go out of our way to purchase more useless crap because it’s green.

And as I write this, gas prices continue to rise, we continue to pump more crap into our precious atmosphere, and we continue to demolish valuable resources, such as rainforests, that help to clean up after us.

Gas prices will aid in increasing inflation which will in turn raise interest rates.  And it’s not all George W.’s fault.  It’s my fault, and yours, too.  What is your carbon footprint?  Reducing your carbon footprint and spreading education about the true signs of global warming and world economies in trouble is the way to help this problem.  Not slapping a “Not my President” or “I Buy Green” bumper sticker on your 19 MPG internal combustion car so that those who sit in traffic behind you can take in messages hand-fed to you by the mass-media in addition to your exhaust fumes.

How we can really save the world and the economy after we admit that a new president cannot do it alone:

• Stop buying so much crap.  Try minimalist living.  You’ll be more organized and I bet you won’t miss the clutter.  You don’t need to save everything just in case you need it later.  Chances are, it will be available later as well.
• Skip the trip to IKEA and try buying used furniture off craigslist or from thrift stores.  Be creative and you can have a project that creates a totally unique piece of furniture for your home.
• Skip the toy in the happy meal and the impulse purchases.
• Better yet, cut back on the beef all-together.  You’ll be healthier and we’ll need fewer methane-producing cows in the world.  It’s a serious problem; cows put more pollutants into the atmosphere than any 3rd-world country and more than all of the SUVs in the US.
• Walk or bike to the grocery store, work, or other erands.  You’ll be healthier and happier with exercise.  Exercise makes a healthier body and mind AND increased energy levels.
• Move closer to work or work from home.  The great American highway system has created suburbs everywhere.  You buy a cheap house and fill it with crap, then drive in traffic for an hour or more each morning and evening.  Save yourself the gas and crap money but investing in a home near work.  This is why Austin and other cities are urbanizing now.  You’ll fit in that 200 square foot urban home after you follow tip #1 (dumping all the useless crap).
• Are you getting the idea?  Make smart decisions, not “green” purchases.

Are you getting it yet?  Improving the environment should also improve the economy.  Frankly, it bothers me less that it should that gas prices are high.  I think this is finally the motivation we (as lazy “someone else will take care of it” Americans) need to create real, practical sustainable energy sources.

Tags: carbon footprint, economy, environment, green, green energy, health by Aria
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This morning’s paper has an article announcing that wireless phone carriers are making an effort to use renewable energy to power their towers. Wireless is still a growing industry, and it certainly a large one. Will the trend catch on? Consumers are looking for greener options right now, but we do not yet have all of the answers about renewable energy. We don’t know which form is most efficient, practical, or affordable. When companies take on the challenge of renewable energy, they are able to use their resources to answer these questions by experimenting with different technologies currently available.

According to this article, wireless companies are experimenting with wind power, solar panels, hydrogen fuel cells, and geothermal cooling to power and maintain the various pieces of equipment required to deliver wireless communication to the consumer. Because they are big business, they are very focused on efficiency and the bottom dollar. Compared to government efforts that are typically relatively inefficient with tons of red tape, I have high hopes for the knowledge we can gain from responsible companies using their resources to learn more about how to implement and develop renewable resource technologies.

If you know of any other companies working toward a better tomorrow, let me know. I would love to know what Austin-based companies are doing in this realm.

Tags: carbon footprint, energy star, green, green energy, health, living, nature conservancy, renewable energy, responsibility, wind power by Aria
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In the United States, buildings account for:

• 36% of total energy use/65% of electricity consumption
• 30% of greenhouse gas emissions
• 30% of raw materials use
• 30% of waste output/136 million tons annually
• 12% of potable water consumption

Source: U.S. Green Building Council

Yet, only 7% of American voters believe buildings contribute to greenhouse gases.

We used to drive an average of 12,000 miles per year PER HOUSEHOLD. That number has rises to 22,000. Hybrid or not, that’s a lot of emissions. What’s to blame? Cities have grown without effective transit systems.

Fluorescent Lambs have superior light quality, a wide range of color correctness, put out very little heat, and last longer than incandescent & halogen lamps. Plus, about 70% of the energy put it is in the form of light rather than heat (compared to 10% light to 90% heat in Halogen lamps).

There is no significant cost increase in building “green”.

Figure 2. CO2 Emissions by Sector

Tags: building, development, green, health, real estate, responsibility by Aria
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I’m postponing my Green Building blog for just a bit while I pass on some information I received an email today and had heard about this problem before as well.

http://extendourtrail.org/

This group is seeking support to extend Austin’s famous Hike & Bike trail that borders Town Lake, now dedicated as Lady Bird Lake.

This is a development issue if you’d like to make your voice heard in this day and age of re-thinking the way the city handles new construction and development, especially in sensitive areas like those right on Town -er Lady Bird Lake.

There are plans for new development at this old site to either rebuild on the current footprint or allow the Hike & Bike trail to go through.

Do you support the trail or the building? If you support the trail, visit the link above for more information and to sign a petition online.

It isn’t just about Austin’s joggers… This is a similar but different issue than allowing homeowners to add a bathroom or garage apartment for a caretaker or a builder building a 2500 square foot 2-story home where there was once a 1200 square foot bungalow in central Austin. I really believe this should be argued separately since this is for a large apartment building. It is LEGAL for the developer of this issue to develop either way but responsible building should be supported. If you have followed my projects in central Austin you’ll know that I do build larger homes than those build 80 years ago but they fit into today’s idea of central Austin architecture as well as functioning family spaces (more kitchen space, more than 1 bathroom).

Aria McIntosh
Builder, Realtor®, e-Pro
Corias Homes, Inc. & BridgeOne Properties
(512) 771-1776
aria@ariamcintosh.com
ariamcintosh.com
coriashomes.com
bridgeoneproperties.com

Tags: austin, building, development, health, responsibility by Aria
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