[Greenbuilding] 100 miles builds

[Racheli Gai]

I really liked Jason's post, until it got to the China etc. bashing.  Not that I disagree with political criticism of China or anyone else, but to imagine that China causes more harm in the world at large than the US does is truly mind-boggling to me.

Racheli.


On Feb 25, 2012, at 9:37 AM, Jason Holstine wrote:

> There is tremendous context here. People focus on transportation footprint but it goes so far beyond that. When we review products we look at several criteria and at the whole body comparing alternative products. The art of LCA gets complicated—and fascinating—real fast.
> 
> If a product is made in the PNW of the US, there will be a high carbon footprint transporting it to the east coast (unless it goes rail—rare), but it was likely made with hydroelectric power. If it was made at a plant that buys wind power, that’s a respectable offset. If that product was made in China, there is a high chance it was made with coal—dirty coal. Most of the developing world doesn’t have nearly the environmental and OSHA requirements that we have in US, Canada, EU and Japan.  And lest you think that’s their problem, 5-10% of US air pollution is from China emissions. Soot from the top of the Empire State Building has been traced to Chinese smokestacks.
> 
> In addition, if it’s made in the US, it’s supporting my own wellbeing b/c it’s propping the economy that I depend on. It’s potentially lining the pockets of the people that fund our national parks, that buy recycled products that divert from the waste stream that would otherwise end up in OUR landfills and waters, and that otherwise benefit our own “backyards”. 
> 
> If it’s made in the US or other Western nations, it doesn’t support the development of a nation and its armed forces that is NOT our ally. The Chinese and Russians are supporting Syria’s Assad. It’s OUR MONEY that made it possible for them to get in our way. Its the Chinese that are still buying Iranian oil, buying Sudanese oil fields (funding genocide), and propping the North Koreans. If anyone has any question on how this directly correlates to green or sustainability, let me know.
> 
> The Chinese know fear more than anything else. If they fear social unrest from the pollution, illness and living conditions, they’ll turn off those plants and factories in one day. If local workers rise up b/c they’re losing their jobs b/c western buyers are boycotting or onshoring production, the Communist bosses MIGHT start acting sort of responsibly.
> 
> We can’t stovepipe these issues and criteria. It’s a much bigger web. This is fundamentally how green building involves deeper consideration and thought. That’s the real art that sets some of us apart. Bravo Gennaro.
> 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.bioenergylists.org/pipermail/greenbuilding_lists.bioenergylists.org/attachments/20120225/36406b32/attachment.html>