By: Annee Martin

Annee Martin — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:53:16 +0000

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…..

By: John McCormack

John McCormack — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 02:50:09 +0000

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?

Comments on: “Green” is the new “Black”

By: Annee Martin

By: John McCormack