Green living in Portland

[chelidon]

Pretty decent Christian Science Monitor article on green/eco-housing in Portland. Unfortunately, it points out the true fact that green housing is still largely restricted to that small minority of people who deliberately want to do it, and who have a serious amount of disposable income and are willing to dedicate it to this purpose. Until and unless green housing becomes comparable in cost to standard energy-wasting houses and apartments, or people are willing to buy a smaller energy-efficient house instead of a larger energy-wasting one, this will remain a pursuit of the educated "green elite," aka eco-yuppies.

Things may well change, though, as energy costs start to spike. Luxuries like high-efficiency refrigerators and other appliances, which cost several times as much as basic energy-wasting models, will become more popular, I'm sure. The long-term costs, particularly energy use over time, will start to get figured in there. The same goes for smaller, more energy-efficient houses. Perhaps there's a silver lining in the coming Peak Oil scenario.

Comments

[snidegrrl.livejournal.com]

I've looked at things like this a number of times... frequently it comes up because I'm really into modernism in residential architecture... but then I remember it's not in my price range. :(

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

Exactly. It's one thing to decry a supposed short-term mentality which leads us to neglect the long-term costs (energy usage, etc) when buying something. It's another thing to recognize that most people don't have the ability in their lives to pay 1200 or 2 grand for an appliance.

green living.

[alzm.livejournal.com]

portland you say?

I was there for a while and didn't like it much...
Green living there makes damn little sense.... didn't back then at least..

You know what could?

Getting a house in New Orleans and then making a roof garden happen.
I may get the cash at some point and if you want green living then that qwiould be a way to do it..
Let me know if you are interested...
I have more plans but that one would fill in the green lviing desire you have and it would work in some ways at least.

(ps.. I can't promise this yet because of not having the cash rigth now... bu8t i'm workign on it and with five manuscripts that means that well I will seriously have enoguh cash to do this.... if just two or three get published... that and I have soem things on the side that might do as well)