GBlist: political realities/intro

[ANovelli@aol.com]

Hiya folks,

I realized this morning that a discussion about politics *may* be appropriate 
for this listserv, if limited in scope. My rationale is that for those of us 
in the States, and arguably, the rest of the world, the November election has 
important implications. With construction and development equal or greater 
than any other environmental impact, I feel some kind of a consensus 
statement generated from the wide range of views and talent here would 
potentially interject an enlightened measure of proactiveness into the 
political agenda. I would be glad to continue this off list, or perhaps, 
those at CREST would see fit to establish a separate listserv for this 
topic... in any event, let's talk about that.

Where we find ourselves is in a time of growing tension about our future here 
on the planet. Without getting into facts and figures, the disturbing trend 
is toward greater and greater dependence on nonrenewable, energy intensive, 
toxic chemicals and compounds, which are accumulating at an alarming rate in 
the ecosphere. There is general malaise over many things, most of it 
internalized. I have yet to talk to anyone who doesn't feel the cut of new 
development overrunning open spaces and historically significant buildings 
and neighborhoods. I know no-one who doesn't acknowledge that we are 
stripping the Earth of it's available resources at a rate that is at least, 
alarming. Everone I know has concerns for their children's health and safety, 
either from their food, their education, or sex. drugs and violence.

All of these things are related, and certainly our discussions can range 
beyond any list of topics and still be on-topic for the big picture. Focusing 
on the portion of that discussion that is more directly related to green 
building and its associated impacts is a start. What I envision are two 
things happening: the first is that we hear general thoughts about the 
process of change, and how we have observed the candidates capabilities in 
creating change in the right direction. Off the top, I don't consider Bush an 
option by any stretch of the imagination, and my concerns are how do the 
ideologies of Gore and Nader translate into potential change in a desirable 
direction. I feel that idealism must be balanced with practicality, and that 
the lessons of Clinton's early battles not be taken lightly.

Second, I would like to see us rough out a set of goals and principles that 
embody the consensual concerns of the group. For example, I keep hearing the 
President's Council on Sustainable Development is considered extinct after 
this administration. I don't know why, and can find precious little on the 
web. Establishing such an organization in perpetuity is a very compelling 
concept to me, adding David's and my favorite word, "regenerative" into it's 
title and purpose.

Anyway, that's a nutshell of my thinking. There is certainly the possibility 
of it overrunning the topic load here, though I don't want it to fizzle for 
lack of lively discussion and debate. Please share your thoughts.

All best wishes,

Tony Novelli
Development Center for Appropriate Technology
P.O. Box 27513
Tucson, Arizona 85726-7513 USA
(520) 624-6628
(520) 798-3701 Fax
anovelli@aol.com (direct personal e-mail)
dcat@azstarnet.com
<A HREF="http://www.azstarnet.com/~dcat/";>http://www.azstarnet.com/~dcat/</A>

coming soon! dcat.net!
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