Over the weekend I read an article entitled “How I (Almost) Saved The Earth” by ‘Dilbert’ creator, Scott Adams. It appeared in the Wall Street Journal not too long ago and is still available for viewing on their web site. (see the entire article here) In the piece, Adams takes aim at green building and does a pretty poor job at summarizing its pitfalls. I read the article, pushed back my office chair and stared at the screen. I have to admit that the whole thing bothered me a bit.
Because Adams is the creator of a comic strip about office life, I didn’t take his words on green building too seriously. I realize who Scott Adams is and what he does. But what irked me was that his perspective, however misinformed it was, is real and is echoed in some way by a great number of people. I hear criticisms of “green building” a lot, and this article reaffirms that some people just really don’t get it.
While reading the article I found myself keeping a running list of the things he got wrong. For example;
“As a rule, the greener the home, the uglier it will be. I went into the process thinking that green homes were ugly because hippies have bad taste.”
Green homes aren’t always ugly. Poorly designed homes are ugly.
“One day you run into an engineer who, unlike yourself, actually knows something. He listens to your whining about your energy bill and speculates that perhaps the walls weren’t packed densely enough. Or maybe there was too much moisture in the mix. Or maybe magazine articles are a bad way to learn about the science of insulation.”
Actually, magazine articles are a pretty good way to learn about the science of insulation.
Go to the “How it Works” department in Fine Homebuilding Issue # 206 for information on Heat Transfer Through Insulation
Click this link for info on thermal bridging: Thermal Bridging
So what do you think? Do you see any flaws in Adams take on the subject? If so, post what you think are the most egregious errors.
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For the record, this doesn't define green building.
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"But don't try telling me a garden roof wouldn't be a maintenance nightmare. And where do you find the expert who knows how to do that sort of thing?"- Adams A vegetative roof of sedum may be less maintenance than you think. Vegetative roofs are not new and are not overly difficult to install. Check out the Green Roof Manual published by Timber Press.
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Where in the hell did you find this nutcase.
Another whack job speaking about something they have no knowledge of. Seems like the biggest error this country has made in the last century is summed up in the old adage, "Its not what you know its who you know." This is exemplified nowhere better than In the political and media realms. Where else can some small group of individuals orchestrate a coup and lead a nation into a war under false pretenses. Where else can essentially ignorant ranters get airtime on the nations airwaves to spew hyperbole with little factual basis. Answer; only in a country where the notion of networking and connections has superseded the value of true knowledge and understanding.
There isn't anything wrong with Scott Adams' opinion piece. He is expressing his opinion about a topic that frustrates everyone when you try to make decisions about making energy efficient homes. I'm not a professional, but I've had homes built for me in Texas, California and now North Carolina. There is a kernel of truth in all of Mr. Adams comments.
Mr. Adams specializes in satire. Is it possible that elements that make for a great green home might not appeal to middle America? Probably. After all, look at the hash that HGTV made out of the Green Channel. In fact, look at how home improvement shows have changed in the past 5 years. At a time when we need more factual information about building practices, what kind of "home improvement" shows are being put on the air? Reality style shows that have fluff for content and conflict for story lines. They are almost devoid of useful consumer information.
To paraphrase the fictional President Andrew Sheppard "people don't drink the sand because they are thirsty. People drink the sand because they don't know the difference."
Unless Fine Homebuilding has a show on HGTV or PBS to offer factual information, misinformation is going to rule the day.
Don't forget that the residential housing market is dominated by contractors that aren't held to a very high standard. For every Mike Holmes there are 10,000 contractors who are just trying to make a living.
I think Scott Adams was being kind. When I lived in the Bay Area in California we had a energy audit and got a quote for a photovoltaic system for our house. The payback was in 42 years. I have to live now, not 40 years in the future.
You know what they call a leader without any followers? Just a man out for a walk. If you want a green building revolution, better figure a way to get people energized without sending them to the poorhouse.
Some things never change; the tendancy for "Green advocates" to reflexively respond to criticism by attacking the prson of the questioner seems to be their first, last, and only response. Both the blog and the first two commenst bear this out.
I don't know Scott Adams. Perhaps he is a mean person, writing from the local loony bin ... but that matters not.
What does matter is that when you say "green," most folks DO imagine something like the house pictured in the blog. Or, we recall all those folks who have usged us to make our homs of old tires and dirt ... or bury them like caves ... or by cementing old bottles together ... or, even, by using leaves, pine cones, and twigs.
If folks want to sell an idea .... SELL it. Let the idea stand on its' own merits. In the meantime, don't ask me to fund your schemes. And, no matter how much better your solution is, don't try to force it on me. If it's that great an idea, I'll figure out I want it without any help from the authorities.
Back in the 70's we heard much the same from the 'greenies' as we hear today. We also heard of some dreamers with names like Gates and Jobs. Today we all see the value in having a computer .... yet we do not all see the sense in 'going green.' This is a fact.
Perhaps the worst enemies of the Green movement are its' supporters. Or, maybe they just haven't learned to sell. Insult the rest of us all you wish, even have a good laugh - but don't be surprised when we fail to join the parade.
maybe it would be a good thing if there was a real definition of green. does it mean energy consumption? does it mean material usage? what about recycling?
my green house probably isn't the same as the next persons. i'm willing to bet that most of the materials in today's houses consume far more energy in their production and shipping than they will ever save. what about allergies? i won't live in a box surrounded by vinyl siding or vinyl windows or god forbid, m.d.f., and i don't care what the ancillary costs are.
near as i can figure out, the truly green home is one where you use only materials that you produce yourself, from natural sources (hello trees and rocks and water), and that you don't heat or light. and just how realistic is that?
i know this is a little disjointed, but there it is.
I'm a professional and I agree with almost everything in the Adams article. If you take a look at what he really says, it is that green building is difficult, complex, and ultimately worthwhile for yourself and future generations. Yes, he pokes fun at those of us who are working at making green building the rule as opposed to the exception, but that is bound to happen in a field that has as many differing opinions as ours does. We can't even agree on the most basic of things like the definition of the word green (something that Adams touched on). Also, don't overlook that he also calls himself an idiot. By that he isn't saying that he is stupid, but rather that he is joining us in trying to make things better even if it isn't the most fiscally logical decision all the time.
What we can do is take this ribbing in a good natured way and continue to work extremely hard. We need to know our field so well that we can definitively say yes, building green is worth while, not just because it makes you feel like a good person, but because it actually IS good for the environment, your pocket book, your health, and your community... and here are the numbers to prove it (insert your numbers here on energy savings, pay back times, health benefits both mental and physical, environmental benefits...the list is endless)
One last thing, if someone as smart as Adams feels this way, just think how the typical home owner/buyer feels when confronted with the complexities of green building. Let's keep making our field better, clearer and easier to accept because nothing else will work.