Sunday, September 23, 2007

I watched the 11th Hour movie tonight and was inspired to write something about it. The top messages and takeaways I got from the film were:

1. Sustainability is possible and it can create jobs and help the economy in ways we forget to consider.
2. Everyone can vote- regardless of our age. We vote everyday with our wallets and the green we give. When we buy products we are saying "yes, we support the manufacturing of this product and how it is being used and consumed".
3. Exxon oil company is dangerously profitable and makes more money than most of the car companies put together. This money drives the politics and policies for our slow rate of change.
4. Technology and the Industrial Revolution created the machanisms for rapid growth, the population explosion and abuse of nonrenewable resources, but technology can also be the answer to solving our persistent waste issues.
5. Our generation has the opportunity to make big changes if we decide to cease the moment.
6. Buildings today represent 40% of the world’s energy demand, a third of that resulting from commercial buildings.

This last point got me on a tangent thinking about building green for commercial/residential spaces and sustainable designs, which I have always found to be facinating. Here are some resources by which my Google searches led me.

With such a big impact on the environment and our daily lives, the first big step should come from commercial developers and the business sector. Here are some action steps businesses can easily take. "Corporations and business are powerful agents for change. By greening your production practices, and reducing waste in your business, by becoming efficient, you can greatly reduce the impact of human civilization on the planet's resources. Take Action will point you to resources that will help you green your business."

Commercial Building Tax Incentive- It makes financially green sense for businesses to go green.
Plans for a vertical farm in Seattle on top of mixed use building.

Even the Vatican is environmentally conscious by installing solar panels and planting trees to help with carbon emissions.

Massive Change- An ambitious, multi-venue exhibition on the possibilities of design culture. Massive Change is also a book, an online forum, an education model as well as a Visionaries Symposium.

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