By Steve Austin
The Seattle Times recently posted an article that talks about 5 new emerging trends in design in the Pacific Northwest. One of those trends was entitled “Greener is the New Green.” How cute. The piece describes some of the innovations in smart materials – induction cooktops! ductless mini splits! – AND smartphone controlled homes! Great, that will enable the rich to continue to live as they want to. There is nothing in the article about those without permanent housing or the average folks in the distant suburbs.
The only remote discussion of energy is in a blurb about “Green Canopy Homes (which now is setting its own trend by building exclusively net-zero-energy and net-zero-energy-ready homes).”
Nothing about ZERO CARBON homes, or even better, BELOW ZERO CARBON homes. Net zero would have been a good idea decades ago. Now, it does nothing to account for the huge amounts of embodied carbon dioxide emissions in construction materials and processes.
If a good idea is too late to do good, is it still a good idea?
The idiocy is summed up by this beaut of a quote: “Homebuyers began to expect that new construction should be more sustainable in a progressive city such as Seattle…”
Really, all this is marketing to virtue signalers that all can be well, but only if you invest in “greener.” Seattle is no more immune to the coming turmoil than any other place. I did think that it was smarter.
steve austin 