Due to the proliferation of comment spam, I’ve had to close comments on this entry. If you would like to leave comment, please use one of my recent entries. Thank you and sorry for any inconvience caused.

May 18, 2007

Going Green

P9140215_240.jpg

View larger image


All of us here at Dakota were thrilled to hear that a secondary school we admire is building an entirely green building, complete with composting toilets. It was designed by Architerra an architectural firm whose "distinction lies in its commitment to comprehensive green design solutions for any project in the built environment." Ecological education at its finest.

Upon hearing this good news, we decided to see what Harvard is doing in the greening department. The university has recently ripped down a quarter of Cambridge, including old growth trees, and is covering all the vacant lots thus created with multistory buildings. Not all of us here at Dakota are fans of Harvard, particularly its more corporate aspects, epitomized by the omnivorous Harvard Real Estate, whom we hold responsible for the suburban malling of Harvard Square. We were therefore pleased to discover that Harvard actually has their very own Green Campus Initiative....and Harvard isn't alone. Many of Boston's institutions of higher learning are greening up.

Just in time for this entry, Bill Clinton, running eco-end for Hillary in case Al Gore decides to run, announced The Clinton Foundation's billion dollar Green Cities Initiative, which will provide green makeover programs in sixteen locations. However politically motivated, it's productive, rather than destructive. Bloomberg unveiled an ambitious green plan for New York City and the yummier half of Brangelina is doing the green thing in New Orleans.

But you don't have to be a movie star or an institution to have a green place of your very own. Take a peek at these Enertia houses that use no fuel at all. Although we wish we had that kind of Enertia, all of us here at Dakota have at least overcome the usual kind and changed our bulbs. Have you?

Photo note: The greening of a fence post. Shot on location in beautiful downtown Sandwich.

Posted by Dakota at May 18, 2007 10:24 PM