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<h3 class="post-title"> The Architecture of Change </h3>
In February, 2007, I watched a televised <a
href="http://www.architecture2030.org/2010_imperative/webcast.html">teach-in</a><!-- put the first or teaser paragraph here -->
sponsored by the American Institute of Architects and the New York
Academy of Science. The speakers included Dr. James Hansen of NS.S.A.
and Dr. Ed Mazria, a member of A.I.A. and the founder of a non-profit
called Architecture 2030. <br>
<br>
While
all of the section are informative, I was particularly impressed by Dr.
Mazria's presentation and the 2010 Imperative that his organization is
championing. Here is the simple truth, known then and still valid. You
can not solve the problems of climate change without addressing the
building sector. If you do take on the building sector, then many of
the other diminish in scale and the time frame to finish the job
becomes much more manageable.<br>
<br>
The title of Dr. Mazria's talk was <span style="font-style: italic;">Resuscitating
a Dying Society</span>. His original proposal was to get strong backing
for what he called the <a
href="http://www.architecture2030.org/2010_imperative/index.html">2010
Imperative</a>.
Many people listened, but few acted. Had they done so, I don't think we
would be facing the possibility of a failure in Copenhagen. Had they
done so, we would not have had to listen to the Palin-ites chanting
"Drill, baby, Drill."<br>
<br>
Now, however, more and more architecture firms are taking up the
challenge. I quote from an Architecture 2030 <a
href="http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=VQUB4uCyeUywODw%2BzYQE%2FY8az%2BT%2FVHJO">release</a>
date Sept. 28, 2009. (2010 will soon be here.) <span
style="font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.25;"></span>
<blockquote><span
style="font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.25;">Building
Sector Leaders Call for<br>
Steep Energy and Emissions Cuts</span> <br>
<br>
SANTA
FE, NM - Twenty-four of the largest and most influential architecture,
engineering, and development firms based in the U.S., which are
responsible for a combined $100 billion in building construction
annually, have joined forces with <a target="_blank"
href="http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=ita8fWon%2Fph%2BmuWHtuxc148az%2BT%2FVHJO"
style="color: rgb(240, 77, 42);">Architecture 2030</a>,
a leading non-profit research organization, to call on Congress to
update national building code standards to meet steep and achievable
energy reduction targets.<br>
<br>
Specifically,
this group is pressing the Senate to pass the building energy reduction
targets in Section 241 of the American Clean Energy Leadership Act of
2009 (S. 1462) and incorporate timelines to reach carbon-neutral
buildings by 2030.</blockquote>
Now we know what the Republican
response will be: Lie, obfuscate, delay until it is too late. The
leader of the charge is Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma. The initial <a
href="http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Minority.Blogs&ContentRecord_id=07dd59d4-802a-23ad-4cf4-ce180327c5a6">Press
announcement</a> has already been made. A major chance was missed when
OK failed to replace him in 2008.<br>
<br>
So,
here is the next challenge, for those who believe in thinking globally
and acting locally. Attend the next meeting of your local planning
commission and demand that they only approve projects where the
architecture meets the standard laid down by Architecture 2030, that
the Cities where you live only deal with architecture firms who have
signed on like those <a
href="http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=oFOfiW29TaVmeMUK2k6ALY8az%2BT%2FVHJO">listed</a>.<br>
<br>
This is not for you and me. It is to resuscitate a dying society for
our children and grand children until the 7th Generation.
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="80">--
"Anytime you have an opportunity to make things better and you don't, then you are wasting your time on this Earth" Roberto Clemente
Wes Rolley
17211 Quail Court, Morgan Hill, CA 95037
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.refpub.com/">http://www.refpub.com/</a> -- Tel: 408.778.3024</pre>
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