How the Recession Means More Green Buildings (and Why That’s Good for the Econom

[Towntalk]

I'm all in favor of saving every penny I can, and that includes new Green technology that is proved to work, and I'm also in favor of recycling building materials.

That said, the one thing that gets right up my wick to borrow a phrase from "Are You Being Served" is the panic that pours out of the mouths of so many global warming "experts"

Ask them how much time we have left the time frame ranges from five years to fifty to one hundred, and still others say it's too late now.

The environmentalists got DDT outlawed and look at what is happening in Africa. Thousands are dying because of disease carrying insects that are immune to current insectasides.

Take a close look at the complete list of all the things that supposedly cause global warming, combine that with a complete list of things environmentalists want banned, and couple those lists with the PITA list, and what do we have left.

Do you drink milk? PITA wants it banned, and the environmentalists want cows banned because they produce methane, and the Vegas want beef outlawed.

Do you burn lights at night? Are they the new energy efficient lightbulbs? Those energy efficient lights contain mercury.

Do you have a laptop computer? Its batteries are hazardous waste.

The car you drive is loaded down with hazardous waste - the battery - the antifreeze - the oil - the plastics - the windshield washing liquid.

Even your desktop computer is considered hazardous waste.

Do you watch television? Here again are parts that are hazardous waste.

Do you wash your cloths? The soap, the fabric softener, and bleach are dangerous to our environment.

Do you read books or newspapers? The manufacture of paper pollutes our air, and produces a fowl smell to boot.

Do you eat meat or fish? If you do PITA is against you.

Do you eat cheese? Again the milk that is used comes from animals that produce methane.

Do you wear shoes. Leather comes from methane producing cattle and plastic from oil.

On and on the list goes.

By the way, PITA is against windmills because they pose a threat to birds.

[irishbobcat]

why people wouldn't want to retro fit their homes to save money and energy, especially school buildings and any buildings we pay taxes on is beyond me.

Instead of being a couch potato you would rather let your dollar bills drift out of your houses in the winter thru cracks and such is a very sad state this country and area has become.

Dennis Spisak

[Towntalk]

Our planet has gone through several Ice Ages according to scientists centuries before trains, or cars, or factories, or even before man. How do you explain that?

Volcano's in the Pacific created one of those ice ages. Can we prevent volcano's from happening?

A meteor that struck in Siberia is credited with killing off the dinosaur. Astronomer and NASA are warning us that something like this can occur again.

The Great Lakes were formed by the receding glaciers. Global Warming? If so what caused it seeing that this happened thousands of years ago.

At one time in our planets history South America was connected to Africa out over the centuries moved to its current location. Please explain that.

At one point in history, the Sahara Desert was fertile land. Did man through global warming cause that change? How can we blame man when this change began thousands of years ago?

Again, the huge Swiss mountains according to the History Channel were formed because of plate movements.

Most of Ohio at one time was a sea, but not now. Please explain that.

Watching the History Channel programs on our planet and its place in the grand scheme of the Universe we're told that one day our Sun will go Super Nova and the planets that circle it will be destroyed. Can man prevent that? No!

Techtonic plate changes over the centuries since Earth was formed made many changes to the face of our planet, changes that gave birth to continents and destroyed others. Volcanic actions formed islands and destroyed others.

Can any of us think that we are so superior that we can possably stop volcano's, or earthquakes, or plate movement from happening?

NASA does constant research on the ozone and when we examine the images that they produce, we see that the ozone is in a constant state of flux. What's to say that this isn't normal?

We can't stop a single sunbeam from striking our planet.

The Sun sends out huge solar flares, some so strong that they could destroy life on Earth, and there is absolutely nothing that we can do to prevent it.

Mars and Venus at one time were much like our own planet but look at them now. Please explain why they are now dead planets.

[ytowner]

These 20 below wind chills really are fueling the cause to stop global warming.... o wait maybe global cooling!

[irishbobcat]

How the Recession Means More Green Buildings (and Why That's Good for the Economy)
Written by Joel Bittle
Can a bad economy save the planet?
Let's be honest, construction companies and home builders are facing terrible times.  New building construction has ground to a halt and the subprime mortgage fiasco resulted in plummeting home values, leaving many builders with homes that were worth less than the cost of construction.   The longer the recession - some say through 2010, some say longer - the more companies will have to lay off employees or go under altogether.  There's not much of a silver lining to this dark cloud, but one good thing looks to come out of it.  The green building market, which had been slowly increasing its share of the overall construction market prior to the market slowdown, is poised to provide a much needed spark in the construction market through a new public works program proposed by Barack Obama that will include a focus on energy efficiency in buildings.  With a national movement toward green building practices, there is a very real possibility that once the current recession is over, the majority of new commercial buildings and houses will be much more energy efficient, sustainable, and healthier than current building standards.
An Opportunity for Change
For those with long term vision, a market slowdown can be good for an industry.  It is an opportunity for a reevaluation of business practices.  When things are going well, there's no incentive to change, even if those changes can mean greater energy efficiency and more of a focus on sustainability and health.  But a slowdown gives companies not only the time to research new innovations but the financial incentive to seek new revenue streams.  Consumer behavior is trending green, with 73% saying they would pay more for products that are better for the environment and 89% saying they'd pay more for products that will reduce heating and cooling costs, according to a survey done by the Opinion Research Corporation.
·   » Read more on Business
In good economic times, there is a disconnect between the consumers, the builders, and the product manufacturers.  Consumers may want more green options, but builders may not have the expertise.  For manufacturers, there's no incentive to change if the current building materials are selling just fine.  Now that times are tough, smart manufacturers are adapting to consumer trends and builders are learning the language of green building.  Two years ago, a construction firm was doing well if it employed one LEED Accredited Professional.  Now, large construction firms have hundreds of LEED APs on staff.  In the Kitchen and Bath industry trade show KBIS, two years ago green products were relegated to a rarely seen minor hall while this year's show might as well be lit with green lights.
Focus on Energy and Financial Savings
Even for those who are unconvinced that sustainability should be a national priority or who are unaware of the health risks of a non-green home, it's hard to argue against the financial benefits of an energy efficient building.   And if the rolling brownouts in California and the prolonged droughts in the southeast, the west coast, and Texas have taught us anything it's that the resources we rely on are not infinite.  The U.S. Government Accountability Office predicts at least 36 states will face water shortages within the next five years.  Energy and water conservation cannot be a fringe movement when it is clearly a mainstream problem.
A New National Priority
After years of White House indifference, the green building industry is about to get a significant boost from Barack Obama, who has assembled the green dream team to guide the country toward a more sustainable future. Pundits predicted that once the economic reality of the current recession set in, President-Elect Obama would be forced to cut back on his promises of energy independence and green collar jobs.  Instead, Mr. Obama has linked saving the economy to saving the environment.
Christopher Beam from Slate points out that the economy gives Mr. Obama a mandate to spend more on programs that will stimulate the economy.  "We know that there are buildings - school buildings, in particular, but I think public buildings generally - that need to be retrofitted to make them more energy-efficient," Obama said.  "We will get that money back so that not only are we creating jobs, but we're also making those operations more efficient and saving taxpayers money over the long term."  Call it the New Green Deal, a public works program aimed at turning buildings green.  Beam is skeptical about the simplicity of Obama's plan, and rightly so.  But Mr. Obama and his green team know that the stimulation of the green building industry will accomplish more for the economy than any other industry.
Can the Green Building Industry Save the Economy?
Consider how many birds are killed with one stone (or birds hatched with one egg, for our pacifist friends) when green building becomes a national priority.  The economy has no chance of improving until the new construction and housing markets improve, and an influx of demand for green buildings and green remodeling can provide the needed spark.  Closely tied to green building is the national demand for energy and water.  Since buildings account for 40% of energy consumption, a combination of higher efficiency and innovation in alternative energies will go a long way toward reducing national energy usage - and the upgrades pay for themselves.  Making this vision a reality will require many new "green collar" workers, further stimulating the economy.
Could be that there are green linings on those storm clouds.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Which means Youngstown could be rolling in the dough!
Dennis Spisak
Mahoning Valley Green Party
Ohio Green Party
www.ohiogreens.org
www.votespisak.org/thinkgreen/