The Future is Green

Jessica Whyde

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Green is the new black. Every time I turn around it seems another company is promoting their green initiative, service, or product. It's actually becoming cool to be green. In all honesty, I didn't think we would ever actually get to this point.

Although I went to college in Colorado, where sustainability and environmental accountability were regular topics of discussion in all academic disciplines, green sounded much more like idealistic theory than an achievable reality. I assumed America's consumption addiction and corporate greed doomed us all to one of the many cataclysmic scenarios the "granolas" in my peer group described. At the time, it just didn't seem possible to be productive, profitable AND green all at the same time.

Fortunately, my assumptions were wrong and we are seeing individuals and companies embrace green practices. This is an exciting time, especially for builders and remodelers, because there are so many green opportunities related to homes. For the first time I am starting to envision a future that doesn't involve a global-warming induced ice age or the entire human population living on Mars.

My concern now is that we do not become blinded by green. As with any trend, it is easy to be caught up in the hype and promote so-called green products with the goal of making a quick buck. No doubt in the tough economic times we've been through recently, some easy money would be a welcome sight. However, the danger in jumping on the green bandwagon for the wrong reasons is that eventually you will get thrown out of the parade. True green products are priced fairly, provide a real and measurable benefit, and focus on long-term sustainability.

As green becomes a topic of our day-to-day conversation it is reasonable to expect our elected officials will start thinking green too. My concern is that future legislation will focus on green mandates rather than incentives for green choice. If adoption of specific green solutions is mandated, they may be overly financially burdensome and have other unintended consequences. Rather than force change, my hope is that we move in the direction of education and incentives to allow effective choice within the market.

As I travel around the country and listen to builders from other associations, I know that Tucson is ahead of the green curve. Our community has long held environmental responsibility high on its list of priorities and that is reflected in many aspects of our community. I am proud to say that many SAHBA builders have been leaders in bringing green technologies to the market. SAHBA has also worked in conjunction with a number of jurisdictions to establish green guidelines that make sense for our community and I hope we continue those collaborative efforts.

Here's to the green future we'll build together!