Eco Design Matters: What's Green?
Several months ago I heard through the grapevine that my hometown newspaper, The Washington Post, was going to do a story on "green." It's not easy getting into the Post, given all the competition from world and national leaders, but I thought that this was a good opportunity to get some local coverage for one of my favorite topics. I called the appropriate editor, who I have known for some time, and expressed my interest and availability to be in her green article. She seemed surprised by my request, stating that she didn't think this would be a topic I would find intriguing.
"On the contrary," I responded, "I have been quite active in the environmental field for some time."
"Penny," she said, "our story is on lime green, the hot new color for summer."
Oops! The moment of awkward embarrassment passed, but it did get me thinking about the many meanings of "green." It is, of course, a color or it can imply inexperience, as in greenhorn, or a grassy area such as a village green. Green also describes an unripe fruit as well as lush foliage. These days, however, green also is used to identify a healthy building, or a sustainable one. Sometimes it refers to recycling practices, resource management or energy conservation.
Hold on! This green word is a complicated term.
I am often asked to define the meaning of "green design." The answer is obviously not an easy one and depends on who's asking and in what context. A sub-division developer might think it's as simple as leaving as many trees as possible or may take a more complicated view and develop a community with minimal environmental impact. In Denmark, for example, eco-villages are created where small, single-family homes are clustered around a common community center where neighbors can meet and socialize.
A home builder takes a different view and markets "green" as above standard insulation, highly efficient windows or a money-saving heating and cooling system. The more aggressive builder will throw in passive solar energy and cisterns to collect rainwater.
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