The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) likes to issue press releases with headlines like the following: Real Wood Floors: Wood Flooring is Green (March 14, 2008) Wood Floors Are Green (June 13, 2008) Of course, the NWFA is in the business of promoting wood flooring, so one might expect a little spin on the environmental benefits of their product. However, this is an age of sophisticated consumers and the NWFA would be well advised to tone down its rhetoric and put some … [Read more...]
NWFA Greenwashing Gives Industry Bad Name
October 2, 2008 By Leave a Comment
The National Wood Flooring Association’s green marketing effort is one of the most notorious examples of greenwashing in the building materials industry. The association’s specious and risible arguments, unashamedly made in press releases that should make any self-respecting news editor shudder at the obvious hype, do as much to harm responsible environmental marketing as would flat out lying. It’s truly a sad state of affairs for the wood flooring industry. There are sound and eminently … [Read more...]
Walrus Thesis: Climate Change Science
August 18, 2008 By Leave a Comment
“That’s all very interesting,” said the Carpenter scratching his head. “But can you tell me exactly what it has to do with green building?” Walrus breathed a great sigh. “What exactly don’t you understand, Carp?” He looked at his old friend as if he were a block of wood. Walrus wasn’t sure Carp wasn’t testing him. “Perhaps you could go back to the first space satellite launched fifty years ago,” said the Carpenter. “I’m not sure I get the connection.” “Very … [Read more...]
Political Science and the Green Movement
August 13, 2008 By Leave a Comment
I think the term Political Science is an oxymoron, like Government Organization or Microsoft Works. Perhaps it should be called Political Studies, although this might imply that students don’t acquire real knowledge, or that the opinions from political pundits have the same value as those of the hoi polloi. Another interpretation of the term is more like politicized science. This of course is pejorative since science is supposed to be value free, objective, impartial, all those sorts of things … [Read more...]
When it Comes to “Green” – Small is Beautiful
August 11, 2008 By Leave a Comment
And furthermore… “Ever bigger machines, entailing ever bigger concentrations of economic power and exerting ever greater violence against the environment, do not represent progress: they are a denial of wisdom. Wisdom demands a new orientation of science and technology towards the organic, the gentle, the non-violent, the elegant and beautiful." The quotation above is from E.F. Schumacher’s Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered, first published in 1973, about a decade … [Read more...]
Green Technology Solutions
August 7, 2008 By Leave a Comment
So where were we? Oh yes, in the past, in Ancient Mesopotamia, cradle of civilization (a curious conceit), building with recycled bricks made of regional mud. There also, they invented the parabolic solar reflector, a polished bronze serving bowl turned sideways likely, possibly to light their lamps, or heat some bath water, or both. The point is their technology is of a scale that is “balanced” with their community life. It stands in such sharp contrast to the mentality of our modern age – … [Read more...]
The Global Warming Context
August 5, 2008 By 1 Comment
It would certainly be possible to talk about green building with no reference to global warming. Energy efficiency in itself is a laudable goal. It provides incentive enough on the personal level to stimulate an abundance of activity. Everyone likes to save money. Innovation is fun. Solar heating is cool. Renovating is hot. The list goes on. Self-sufficiency may often be an underlying motive. The romantic desire to live like Thoreau, close to nature, by simple means, seems to be deeply embedded … [Read more...]
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