GREEN Exposed - Or Is It?

CANOE--CNEWS is a Canadian international media source. I don't follow it but an article was brought to my attention Saturday that concerned me, "Green drive exposed" - The godfather of global warming lowers the boom on climate change hysteria. 

I whole-heartedly agree with Mr. Lovelocks commentary in that he was an alarmist. I personally have always felt that the weather is a system of patterns that are so expansive we could not even begin to model it given the lack of data. Maybe in a few thousand years, but not in just a couple of decades.

Furthermore, the notion that a single individual, regardless of how proliferate an impact he has had on Green, can be credited with the expansive Green movement, is just over-credited. There are too many elements involved in Green to say that if Mr. Lovelocks theories are incorrect, that it's time to re-think the value. Green is well beyond Mr. Lovelock.

NO GREEN WASHING

Being certified Green in my profession means that I have a resonsiblity to present all aspects of green as it pertains to real estate, to stay abreast of the news, and to avoid "greenwashing.".  The most common fact error that I see is that people take one aspect of green and hold tight to it, without regard to the whole idea.

In this case, the article written by Lorrrie Goldstein, QMI Agency, lam-blasts the Green movement but missed the mark.  Her article unveils James Lovelock's 5 sentient points as he reflects on his life's work. At age 92 with meritorious efforts in global warming, Mr. Lovelock "gave a startling interview to msnbc.com in which he acknowledged he had been unduly 'alarmist' about climate change."

DON'T BE A DINOSAUR, LOVE THE EARTH!

My viewpoint is pretty simplistic - save resources.  Just having returned from from Playa del Carmen, Quintanna Roo, Mexico, the great Mayan civilization is fresh on my mind.  Chitzen Itza is one of the Seven Wonders of the world and for me, the great wonder is - "For some reason the city was abandoned around 1300." - why?  

The Gold Rush of 1849 - "The 49ers" - "Moreover, the average daily take for an independent miner working with his pick and shovel had by then sharply decreased from what it had been in 1848. As gold became more and more difficult to reach, the growing industrialization of mining drove more and more miners from independence into wage labor. "

GREEN DEFINED

1.  Use less or alternative energy

I'll be the first one to say that technology is not where it needs to be, but we have to start somewhere. Some say that it's too costly, the technology is imperfect, or the economy is bad. My response, its only more costly in the short-term, technology is always lagging, and the economy will be worse when we have fewer resources. 

Consider small bites - make a few personal sacrifices:  Ride share, seal your house, don't drive large vehicles unnecessarily, etc.

2.  Protect our air and water supply

I don't think there is any doubt that we all appreciate good clean water and air. In the US we take it for granted. As an international traveler, I've experienced the water shortage and plumbing issues. It's a real struggle to just get a glass of clean water at times. Sewer, plumbing, water processing, are just uncommon or unsatisfactory in many parts of the world.

A funny thing about "eco-friendly" cultures - Costa Rica and the Yucan peninsula - they promote eco-tourism, water conservation, and minimal impact, yet they use the harshest of harsh chemicals and pesticides. I certainly recognize that sometimes its unavoidable so we have to ask ourselves, can we use later based products instead? Low or no volatile organic compounds?

3.  Minimize our global footprint

How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time!  Its small changes in behavior that each of us can do to manage the earths resources and be better stewards. We start with reuse, renew, and recycle. But also think in terms of how much goes into creating the product you want to buy. Personally I look for natural items such as cotton, or products made from recycled plastic. I don't buy bottled water (it strips all minerals, good and bad) instead I drink active ionized water which comes from an attachment to my sink. I also don't buy any wood, furniture, etc. that emits an odor if I can avoid it. For flooring and counters I recommend bamboo, cork, recycled glass or quartz. They are beautiful, long lasting, and sustainable.