By this point, you may be wondering about a term which has been thrown about in previous posts: Greenwashing. Many of you may be wondering what in the world I mean by "greenwashing". Is it a new form of dying that uses organic, recycled materials? Or is it a new form of low VOC paint which has taken the building industry by storm? The simple answer is, of course, no it is not any of these things.
"...any form of marketing or public relations that links a corporate, political, religious or nonprofit organization to a positive association with environmental issues for an unsustainable product, service, or practice."
Further investigation of this practice shows that it extends beyond the practices of the building and development industry and is certainly a threat to the goals of the sustainable movement with the design industry itself! You are all encouraged to read one of the greatest articles written on the issues of sustainability and their application within the design professions. Green World, Gray Heart is perhaps the quintessential primer for understanding the challenges that we face, both as designers and as members of the ecological community, when we talk about sustainability and sustainable development.
Rhetoric, articles and theories are all well and good, but a picture is generally worth a thousand words. Or in the case of the example I am about to provide, a picture is worth about 24 words.
Let us examine our Big-Box friend, Lowe's Home Improvement. As we wade through the various pages on Lowe's website regarding their commitment to sustainable development practices and the "green" industry we find the following statement on their "Environmental Policy" page.
“Conserving our natural resources is an investment in the future. Lowe's is committed to being a responsible steward of the environment."
Let us now look at the implementation of their stewardship.
Huh, when we look at their development practices from a visual standpoint, it seems that they aren't exactly the stewards that they claim to be. So, who's to blame? Lowe's? Perhaps, yet they are simply following their Hyper-Capitalist business model to spend as little as possible in order to make as much as possible. Many of you will be happy to know that the area shown in the last image is an area that contains a stream and wetlands, but they are simply following the guidelines.
If you had guessed that this is a top-down failure, you hit the nail on the head. If we borrow a page from politicians and pundits, we can usurp the "blame-game" to assign responsibility. However, the important point is that this is a failure that has been spurred by the Hyper-Capitalist system itself. Yes, the municipality should assume responsibility for authoring a development code that allows such behavior. Yes, the designers should have explored creative, ecologically sensitive (or even aware) solutions to the site plan. Yes, Lowe's should know better (or even give a hint that they actually care about how their parking lots, I mean, locations are designed and constructed).
It is this type of behavior that we must change in order to enSure that our nation will not become a swath of pavement accented by emotionless architecture. As designers, and more importantly as members of the wider ecological community, we must take the initiative to change the way we shape our world.
I implore all of you to become more active in the development of your community. The simplest action you can take is that as you gather news from the various sources you frequent, make your local planning department one of those sources. If you have the time, call the planning department and ask about upcoming large projects (all of the applications are public record, so don't let them throw the Patriot Act in your face).
When Big-Box retailers are planning an abomination in your community, you can simply email or call your planning department and inform them that you are opposed to the project. This simple action becomes part of the application and if enough people simply call, city and town governments may be persuaded to rethink the project.
When Big-Box retailers are planning an abomination in your community, you can simply email or call your planning department and inform them that you are opposed to the project. This simple action becomes part of the application and if enough people simply call, city and town governments may be persuaded to rethink the project.
Remember, there is no destructive force more powerful than apathy.
"When I am working on a problem, I never think about beauty but when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong." -R. Buckminster Fuller
"When I am working on a problem, I never think about beauty but when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong." -R. Buckminster Fuller
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