Consumer Reports is buzzing about "Bright Green"
Julia Levitt, 12 Mar 09
Daniel DiClerico at Consumer Reports recently wrote about Alex Steffen and the phrase Bright Green in this piece. He discusses why the meme, and the movement it describes, might be poised for takeoff in 2009:
Why the buzz? Steffen coined bright green in 2003, but 2009 could be its breakout year, thanks in large part to the new administration in Washington, D.C. From the campaign trail to his inaugural speech to last week’s address to the joint congress, President Barack Obama has consistently brought the conversation back to sustainability and energy efficiency. “No recent president made energy and the environment such a centerpiece of his inaugural speech, not even Jimmy Carter, who burned much of his political capital, not to say cardigans, struggling to rejig America’s energy habits,” wrote Keith Johnson, eco-blogger for The Wall Street Journal, in January.
The president included $11 billion in his budget for the creation of a 3,000-mile smart grid with state-of-the-art transmission lines and has shown a commitment to solar, biomass, geothermal, and wind technologies.
Such initiatives are designed not only to help the planet but also to stimulate the economy by creating jobs and saving you money—a key tenet of the bright-green movement. To quote Steffen: “Bright-green environmentalism is a call to use innovation, design, urban revitalization, and entrepreneurial zeal to transform the systems that support our lives.”
Want to learn more about "bright green?" Read our feature story: Bright Green, Light Green, Dark Green, Gray: The New Environmental Spectrum.
Image source: ConsumerReports.org
As an urban planner who's job it is to see the 'big picture' I'm so glad people are starting to get a clue. As much as I personally try to do everything right and bright green, from living close to where I work and recreate (which does cost more $ for housing, though it saves on other costs in the long run), to avoiding driving our well loved 13 year old car at all costs(we only have it because half our family lives in the mountains where is snows and there is no public transport available between the two places), there is more to do to educate the general public. We need to get the people in the 'fly-over' states involved not just people from the 'liberal' and 'green minded' places, because we need to do more than preach to the choir we need to be 'preaching' the bright green mantra to everyone as much as possible.
Posted by: Barbara on 18 Mar 09
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