As I reflect on 2007, I can’t help but notice a sound - a sound that is growing louder by the day.
The sound is the beating drum of environmental awareness. In the last week I have heard of plans at the University of Maryland to engage ‘sustainability’: turning the campus into an arboretum, working on the rooftops with plants, recycling etc.
Also, our allies at Maryland Cooperative Extension are proposing a Green Building at the Central Maryland Research and Education Center. Howard County Executive Ken Ulman wrote a $250,000.00 dollar check to kick off Howard County’s support of this Green Building.
When completed, Stanton Gill and his team will have the “real deal” of an environmentally constructed facility. Here are some of the features (terms): a breeze funnel, rain collection, living roof, daylighting, earth sheltering, reflective paving, greenhouse, solar chimneys, bio-filtration, earth tubes, silo wind generator, wind blocks.
It is time for us, the green industry, the stewards of the environment, to join the beating drum with our instruments and make some music!
It is in this spirit that I offer a thought for your consideration: The excessive consumption of fossil fuels, the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and its negative effect on the environment has all been boiled down to one phrase: Carbon Footprint.
I know you’ve heard it before. It is a “kitchen table” term.
Our green industry has an opportunity to be a lead instrument in the environmental ensemble. In my opinion, we need a simple message. The consumer is not going to understand what a “green building” is, and certainly isn’t going to understand the “terms” listed above. I don’t understand the terms above, but I know they’re a good thing.
How do we say: plants, purification of water and air, water usage efficiency, energy efficiency, recycled waste, efficient use of natural resources?
What phrase makes it simple and a kitchen table term?
I submit for your consideration: Oxygen Footprint.
Oxygen Footprint is the antidote to Carbon Footprint. Might we develop an Oxygen Footprint calculator? Architects currently do an energy consumption calculation on buildings. Ideally, an Oxygen Footprint calculation on a building should offset the Carbon Footprint, and the excess sustains life. The thought of consumers being aware of the Oxygen Footprint of their properties would be a good thing.
In an effort to spark discussion, I built a web site: http://www.oxygenfootprint.org/ - my desire is that our green industry takes ownership of this idea and leads it to an encore performance at the kitchen table.
May God bless you, your family, and our green industry.
Steve
All material is © Copyright 2008, Steve Cissel