Going Green

"Green", while largely undefined and unmeasured, has entered western popular culture and raised a public awareness about how we live and its impact on the environment. We have reached a state of public euphoria over it, generated an entire economy about it, but the measurable impact we've made, so far, is relatively small.

My hope is that "green" can survive long enough to be so prevalent as to make environmental sustainability the standard for all design. My concern, though, is this movement is rooted in ideals that ignore economics when economics may very well be the real solution to the underlying problem. We are, after all, talking about making the best use of resources.

This kind of movement has happened before, many times in fact. There's even a term for it. The "Issue-Attention Cycle" is an idea conceived in the 1970's by Anthony Downs, an advisor to Lyndon Johnson, to describe this seemingly cyclical phenomenon. He outlines 5 stages.

1. The pre-problem stage: a stong social problem exists, but goes un-noticed by the public eye.
2. Alarmed discovery and euphoric enthusiasm: a dramatic series of events causes public awareness and a popular euphoria driven toward solving the problem as quickly as possible.
3. Realizing the cost of significant progress: awareness of the nearly insurmountable economic challenges and cultural sacrifices grows
4. Gradual decline in public interest: the public becomes either discouraged, threatened, or just bored
5. The post-problem stage: some vestiges remain, but in a prolonged limbo.

Without question, we are at stage two which means the need for an economic design solution to our environmental issues is critical right now; one that addresses the gigantic economic challenges. Design must now assume its responsibility as the planner of our resources, as the key tool for balancing social, economic, and environmental sustainability, worldwide.