Builder Magazine - July 2008 - (Page F-7)

COMMENTARY Bleak Assessments Lester Brown President, Earth Policy Institute “Americans have been behaving like Enron at the height of its folly … because we’re hiding some of the costs prices as well as the remaining duration of the up cycle remains a major uncertainty.” Economic and environmental experts see problems and solutions in terms of changing personal behaviors. “We’re literally stuck up a cul-de-sac in a cement SUV without a ﬁ ll-up.” —James Howard Kunstler, Author Shyam Kannan Witold Rybczynski [of energy consumption] off the books. If we don’t put a price on CO2 we’re building up, or on our addiction to oil, we’ll never nurture the innovation we need.” Jeff Kingsbury Managing Principal, Greenstreet, Ltd. “The research shows that all else being equal, sure, the American public is concerned about the environment. They’ll do what they can, but the underlying assumption is they won’t sacriﬁce quality or pay more [to help the environment].” Arjun N. Murti Energy Analyst, Goldman Sachs “The possibility of $150 to $200 per barrel [of oil] seems increasingly likely over the next six to 24 months, though predicting the ultimate peak in oil Architect and Author “For the moment, it doesn’t look as if the majority of Americans, who live in the suburbs, are going to move back to cities, so smart growth and new urbanism are certainly one answer to sprawl. The biggest impediment is probably the resistance of communities, for [which] ‘density’ has become a dirty word. It is also true that higherdensity residential developments, with more emphasis on design and a more complicated sort of marketing, are slightly more expensive and slightly more risky. This has discouraged some developers from trying. The smart-growth model is inherently more complicated, so it isn’t suitable for beginners or inexperienced developers.” Vice President and Director of Research and Development, Robert Charles Lesser & Co. “If you look at long-term energy prices and affordability, this is not the ﬁ rst time we’ve experienced [increased prices]. Every single time we’ve bumped into something, we’ve found ways to continue to consume more energy. Historically, it hasn’t had huge impacts on people’s real estate choices. I will still venture a guess that the average duration of a shower in the Atlanta area hasn’t dropped below ﬁ ve minutes. I love energy savings; that’s ﬁ ne. But it’s a very difficult proposition—spend money here, save money there. One thing that is a more optimistic conversation that hasn’t had enough discussion is rather than dwelling on notions that green building has to cost more, is that the people who are making it work have found out how to build cheaper. When you put in [water-blown foam insulation], for example, you could go from [needing] a 3-ton HVAC to a 2-ton HVAC. Holy moly.” bottom photo: AP “We do face a planetary emergency. The phrase sounds shrill to many, but it is unfortunately quite accurate. Humankind must now ﬁnd a way to reach a higher level of consciousness that allows us to see our planet whole.” —Former Vice President Al Gore W W W.BUILDERONLINE.COM j u ly 2 0 08 B U I LD E R ■ 7 http://WWW.BUILDERONLINE.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Builder Magazine - July 2008

Builder Magazine - July 2008 Contents Editor's Notes B-Mail Book It Green House Business Update Products National Beat Seider's Economy The Greener Good Commentary Land Planning Design Construction Marketing Ad Index Further Considerations Environmental Concerns Commentary Road to Perdition? Editor's Notes Flip Contents

Builder Magazine - July 2008

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