Steven Chu is a funny guy! And really smart. What a relief to have him as our Energy Secretary.
He was on The Daily Show the other night and, beside speaking forcefully for the need to respond NOW to the very real threat of climate change, I noticed him repeatedly referring to the opportunity to take the lead in a “new” industrial revolution, a term he used repeatedly.
We’re with him. The threats to our economy, our environment, and our energy future require us to fundamentally change the way we’ve operated – the “old” industrial models feel pretty bankrupt. For us as designers and builders this means devoting our attention, along with our imagination and experience, to creating buildings that are “future friendly”.
The good news is that these are actually much better buildings, with greater comfort and durability, less expensive and more dependable to operate, and dramatically reducing the very real harm done by our present building methods by way of the energy they commit us to consuming.
Now that we know how much a building’s carbon footprint matters to global health, we expect to play a role in our industry.
Our “new” industry that is!