Page 4 - Green Builder Magazine Jul-Aug 2021

EDITOR’S NOTE
The Inside Scoop

Time to Ask the Hard Questions

Patting people on the back for recycling won’t stop the burn.

ATTITUDES TO COMPANY
JUST READ A HOPEFUL STUDY about how the public’s production, such as methane gas.
view on lifestyles has changed since the pandemic. It found Clearly, righting our Earth ship will AND BRAND SUSTAINABILITY
that, more than ever, we want to live more sustainably. For require all hands on deck. Frankly, BEHAVIORS
example, when asked if respondents prefer to buy from I’m worried. I’m not sure all of us will Percent
Who Agree
companies or brands that demonstrate a commitment to survive the transition between the
sustainability, 86 percent of women say they do. A slightly old fossil fuel age and the renewable
smaller number of men, 81 percent, also prefer sustainability era that now lies within our grasp. Companies/brands should do a lot
committed businesses or brands. When temperatures hit 115 degrees more to reduce their carbon impact
Overall, the study focused on the concept of “regeneration” in Vancouver in June, we saw what 89%
of our
I wounded ecosystems. It’s a noble idea, one that may be coming. But we must try.
one-third of the respondents (spread across China, the United Throwing a plastic bottle in a recy-
Sustainability should be a standard
Kingdom, and the U.S.) had never heard of, but almost everyone cling bin won’t be enough. We need
business practice
could get behind. a moonshot-level effort to cut emis-
That’s all good. But if you look closely at some of the other sions to zero as quickly as possible. 88%
questions and responses in this survey, you begin to understand And we need to stop treating people
why the world seems to be on fire this summer. like entitled children. Just because Companies/brands have a
For example, when people were asked which things they do you can run an air conditioner at responsibility to take care of the
to live more sustainably, responses included using up leftovers 62 degrees 24 hours a day doesn’t planet and its people
(77 percent), recycling at home (77 percent), refusing a plastic bag mean you should. Just because you
when shopping (65 percent), and avoiding single-use plastic items love your gas stove doesn’t mean it 88%
(63 percent). shouldn’t be phased out and banned.
You can see where I’m going with this. I’d call this using soup Industry and manufacturers can It’s good that brands use money
spoons to bail out the Titanic. And it’s not just the answers. It’s and must be part of the solution. We and power to raise awareness of
the QUESTIONS. Instead of addressing the giant tear in the fabric need innovations and renovations important issues
of Earth’s hull, we’re trying to patch it up with bubble gum and that result in lower emissions, not 86%
duct tape. repackaged versions of old ideas.
Imagine if this survey had asked really uncomfortable questions We need investment in change, not
Businesses should play a part in
about CO2-heavy behaviors: Are you willing to give up meat eating platitudes. This might hurt the bot-
solving challenges like Climate
entirely? Would you take a pledge to travel by plane only once tom line in the short haul, with long
Change or social justice
a year? Could you live in a home half the size of the one your term and existential gains. That
neighbors built? Will you have fewer children? Will you exchange means zero-waste plants, recycled 86%
your lawn for a xeriscape garden? Are you willing to push for materials, biodegradable packaging
systemic change in energy policy? I could go on. (or no packaging). The goal is two- Companies should put people and
That’s just a sample of the culture of comfort that’s fold — to “decarbonize” the produc- planet before profit
cooking the planet. We know the truth. Virtually every tion of goods, and to create products
aspect of modern living has its that decarbonize our homes and 82%
feet in an old fossil fuel dependency. businesses (such as solar panels and
Energy production and transpor- energy-saving devices). Carbon cred-
Brand value. A study of 3,001 adults in
tation represent the biggest pol- its? Sure, they’re part of the mix, but
the United Kingdom, the United States and
lution source globally (73 percent not the end game.
China found that the vast majority believe
of total impact). Homes and busi- Will we make it? I don’t know. But
corporations have a responsibility to do
nesses produce about 18 percent some things are worth fighting for,
more on sustainability. SOURCE: REGENERATION RISING
of that total. Another 24 per- like the human race. That’s why we
cent comes from manufacturing at Green Builder continue, year after year, to honor companies
and industry. The rest comes from that are taking the fight to halt Climate Change seriously. You’ll
transportation, shipping and find a few of them in this issue. We call them Eco-Leaders. Like
Matt Power
Editor-in-Chief aviation, and “fugitive emis- you, the nation’s leading builders, architects and green idealists,
matt.power@greenbuildermedia.com sions” released during energy they’re doing what needs to be done. GB
2 GREEN BUILDER July/August 2021 www.greenbuildermedia.com