Finally, after 30 years of false starts, green building appears to be solidly launched. But with so much hoopla and so many products and systems being trumpeted, it’s a good idea to educate yourself before taking a green leap.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m a huge advocate of living green, and though I don’t claim to be a pioneer, I’ve been employing solar design since its inception in the mid-’70s. I love it when new clients walk in the door saying they want to use solar panels, even if they haven’t a clue of what that really means. If their intention is genuine, we’ll find the best way to get it built.

So this green groundswell is a welcome sign. On the other hand, when Leonardo DiCaprio stands up there with Al Gore and announces that henceforth the Academy Awards are going green, you have to wonder how meaningful it all is. When the plain fact is that the planet is choking and we’re running out of water and other vital resources, this is no time to blow smoke.We have to act, act fast, and act very intelligently.

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