“Green” is the new “Black”
Recently, it seems like every product and company out there is jumping on the “green” bandwagon. With all of the feel-good promotional ads and new green products out there, it can be hard to differentiate between what may be “green plated” and what is truly a sustainable, environmentally – friendly product. Marketers are smart and understand that “green is the new black.” So buyers seeking true environmentally sound products must be smarter.
First off, the expectations of “going green” and the focus of one’s efforts on changing lifestyle behaviors and patterns to accommodate this choice need to be reigned in somewhat. There are very few 100% green products available on the market – contrary to what some may want you to believe. Many products are sustainable in some ways, and not so sustainable in others. Chances are, you’ll need to decide what green attributes are most important to you. Is it recycled? Is it durable? What is its’ carbon footprint all the way down to the production process? These are just some of the choices you have in front of you.
The topic of green building and residential energy efficiency has gone far beyond just the environmental community – becoming not only a relevant issue among mainstream building industry professionals, but an imperative discussion to be had in the real estate business. One of the most common concerns being: the true costs and benefits associated with “going green”.
Many California based builders have stated that the costs associated with green building have traditionally been prohibitive – resulting in expenses 10-20 percent more than that of traditional construction. However, many green advocates claim that the costs are negligible when compared to the value recaptured through water and energy savings, health benefits and environmental impacts.
Roundtable discussions are taking place across the state with Realtors® and industry professionals to strategize and conceptualize a reasonable approach to implementing an incentive based energy efficiency methodology in existing residential communities. While the task is certainly daunting, it is somewhat comforting to know that many energy efficient measures can be undertaken on a meager to modest budget with efficiency returns more than making up for the initial investment made.
One such group, “Step Up to Green”, is made up of local professionals throughout Monterey County. From municipal staff, sustainability professionals, water experts, local business owners and more, the brain trust behind the “Step Up to Green” program is certainly robust. The incentive based platform focuses on what homeowners can do to achieve energy efficiency. The common-sense approach is attainable, and with adequate public support, a viable program producing tangible results could be seen sometime early next year.
The environmental impacts of residency in Monterey County are being studied, evaluated, researched and tested by both industry advocates and environmental policy groups. As the global climate change debate continues – it will be imperative for our industry to be on the front lines of these discussions. A voluntary, pro-active approach on our behalf will undoubtedly serve as a long term benefit in this dynamic endeavor. While residential energy efficiency standards certainly aren’t the requirement today in most areas, it is understood by most that it will be in the near future. Our efforts to lead the way in research and best practices today will certainly help to achieve realistic, achievable, science derived solutions for the future.
Here at MCAR we are taking both the green movement and the interests of our membership seriously. We will continue to engage you all in the process and elicit response and feedback in our continuing “green endeavors’. I look forward to updating you all in the near future.
While the green benefits associated with any given product are certainly noted and appreciated, there are implicit environmental costs directly related to the production of these products and materials that should be taken into consideration when performing a true environmental analysis. I challenge you take a few minutes to do a little research before making up your mind one way or the other on a given green product or energy efficiency strategy.
Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically to your feed reader.
Comments
Great Comments………I remember 25 years ago as a Chef being involved in the Organic Movement, and the process it has undergone
since then both on an educational and economical level. Today
you can go into any grocery store, Costco, Trader Joes and find
affordable Organic Products.
When the public would complain that Organic was not affordable to most people we would reply Yes and can you afford not to be
Organic.
This Green Movement is no different……We are at a place that we
cannot afford to “Not Think Green”. This is a process and it begins with each one of us doing our part in whatever small or large way we can. There will be some of us who will have to pay the higher prices in order to keep the movement going.If we all do our part then there will be enough volume to keep the prices down because more people will be supplying these products and thus the law of supply and demand will bring the prices down. We are doing it for the next generation although I truly believe that we will reap the benefits in our own lifetime from doing the right thing. The process will included people who try and capitalize on it with no integrity except to make money.However it will also include people like you and me who will see the larger picture.
Everyday we are faced with what we believe in as we make choices
on building materials, go to the store to buy paper and cleaning products….We need to be willing to go thru this period and pay
the higher price so we are not paying it down the road and having
our quality of life threatened.
I am very grateful to everyone who is giving their time and resources to educating us and carrying the vision that we are
all connected, we do affect each other as can be seen in this
mortgage-housing disaster.The ripple affect is serious. We need
to be the change……I am excited that MCAR is looking at this
and coming out with a program to educate Realtors so we can then educate our clients…..I appreciate cities like Monterey and Seaside and Sand City that are looking at how to create incentives and support these efforts……I agree with John that what appears
Green is not always so and we need to ask questions about the sources of some of these materials……We need a central Resource
Center that we can verify the origin of these materials. Just because a product from China is Green does not take into account the factory that made it or the fuel it cost to ship it.
We are all so intertwined and I think this energy crisis is
a blessing in disguise to help elevate our consciousness that
we need to pull together on this one and stop thinking only of our own bottom line…….That we are one huge family occupying this planet, this Peninsula at this time and we can no longer afford
to turn our backs and pretend this is not happening…..
Good comments on green. My concern is that there are now two sets of green criteria (residential and commercial), but who set these criteria? I do not believe there was any public input as to how the priorities were to be established. Much like the rush to get bio-fuels to market and the shift to produce fuel altnatives has the usual unintended consequences on food supplies, the green requirement could effect construction costs. Use of recycled and locally produced construction materials are important ingredients in meeting the LEED criteria, but once the green movement gets rolling can these materials be sustainable? Who knows if this is realistic?