Going “green” is a message heard from the President that reaches all the way to the pre-schoolers, but the problem is that even though 62% of Americans consider themselves to be environmentalists, convenience, comfort and freedom have put limits on what citizens are willing to do to live environmentally sustainable lives. The problem does not lie in the technologies, the problem is in the society.
Americans say they are “doing their part” to sustain the environment but in actuality they are often doing just a small amount and justifying why they won’t do more. Reducing energy use and preserve our natural resources are the actions required to combat global climate change.
I will examine what the San Francisco Planning and Building Departments have done to incorporate energy efficiency into their building codes and if mandating the built environment has created the structures for efficiency to “healing the split” that Berry talks about.
Lisa Goddard
I think the interesting thing to ask here is, what would it take to GET Americans to change their behavioral patterns? It comes down to incentives. If you hit them in the pocketbook, that’s often the most effective means… and it’s here that government can play a huge role. Subsidizing innovative technologies so it can be cheaper to “do the right thing” rather than more expensive. Or taxing the behaviors we are trying to discourage. It worked in Europe… make gasoline $5/gallon and people drive smaller cars, and fewer miles. We saw it last summer, albeit briefly, when gas spiked to $4 a gallon.