Are You Green Enough?
By Jim Palmer Jr.

Do you remember the Dr. Suess character Sam, who annoyingly pestered an unnamed character to sample a dish of green eggs and ham? The unnamed character refuses to ingest the green stuff throughout the story while constantly repeating, “I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them, Sam-I-Am.”  Quite a few years ago, I found myself in a situation similar to the unnamed character in the story, when I was asked by a developer if I would promote “green” homes to the public. Their thinking was that this environmentally friendly movement would create a niche market where everyone would clamber for “green” homes even though they came at a higher price. That movement sputtered at the time, but its promoters have in recent days revived their clarion call, still promoting green ideas but now with a larger megaphone and less subtle messaging.

Now their brazen call sounds more like the Chicken Little story as they confidently claim the sky is falling and if we don’t listen we’re doomed for certain destruction.  The anxiety created by such zealots has persuaded many to take up this new religion, while enraging others. What was once a good idea in the name of conserving resources and being good stewards has become controversial and has created much contention between the “in crowd” and folks who calmly retain common sense.

The new buzz word in the real estate industry is sustainability.  In 1987 a U.N. commission defined sustainability as “meeting current needs without compromising those of future generations.” Some new words that supposedly describe the green trend in home building are; all-electric, net-zero, and high-performance, all of which describe the goal of improved air quality, less waste and reduced energy use.

The language around sustainability can be divisive, mostly because most messengers seem fanatical and devoid of reality. “Breach the dams” they shout, without giving credit for the ultra-clean energy they provide. Another example is highlighted in a recent Realtor® article that described wanting to “construct environmentally conscious houses with plant-based materials to combat climate change.”

The truth is that we’ve been using plant based materials to build safe, efficient homes for generations, and most folks if given a choice instead of being forced to comply with fanatical demands, would opt for common-sense ideas that not only lightened their economic load, but conserve energy and create a cleaner world.