QUESTION: Do you support Al Gore's word's on Global Warming as they relate to building houses?

[RiverStone]

I've been pondering how to pose a question which was inspired by the Edwards House threads, but without stirring up any hornets. This post is NOT about John's house in particular (been there/done that). I believe John Edwards is a caring man who has a political history advocated strongly for the working class and those even less fortunate. He is not my number one choice, but if he was our party's nominee in 08, I'd vote for him in a heartbeat.

On a different note, straw poll after straw poll on DU puts Al Gore consistently in a very healthy lead on our Presidential player wish-list. He is unequivocally and enthusiastically my number one choice for President as he is for many DUers. We all know in his professional life, his number one passion for years has been Global Warming. It's all very well advertised in An Inconvenient Truth as are lifestyle changes which all of us -world wide- could implement to reduce our Carbon Footprint. A huge part of our favorite's candidate's platform on Global Warming relates to buildings. Here are a couple of snippets from a wonderful speech Al gave at the New York University School of Law on 9/18/06:

Buildings - both commercial and residential - represent a larger source of global warming pollution than cars and trucks. But new architecture and design techniques are creating dramatic new opportunities for huge savings in energy use and global warming pollution. As an example of their potential, the American Institute of Architecture and the National Conference of Mayors have endorsed the "2030 Challenge," asking the global architecture and building community to immediately transform building design to require that all new buildings and developments be designed to use one half the fossil fuel energy they would typically consume for each building type, and that all new buildings be carbon neutral by 2030, using zero fossil fuels to operate. A newly constructed building at Oberlin College is producing 30 percent energy than it consumes. Some other countries have actually required a standard calling for zero carbon based energy inputs for new buildings.

The rapid urbanization of the world's population is leading to the prospective development of more new urban buildings in the next 35 years than have been constructed in all previous human history. This startling trend represents a tremendous opportunity for sharp reductions in global warming pollution through the use of intelligent architecture and design and stringent standards.

<snip>

This is not a political issue. This is a moral issue. It affects the survival of human civilization. It is not a question of left vs. right; it is a question of right vs. wrong. Put simply, it is wrong to destroy the habitability of our planet and ruin the prospects of every generation that follows ours.


full text here!

http://www.truthout.org/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/64/22597


So without talking about John's, Hillary's, Barack's, Dennis's, Wes's, or Al's house in particular (please!) - are not the tenants of Al Gore's words on Global Warming something most of us believe in? I'm making an assumption, because Al Gore is so very popular on DU. It seems that building smaller would be the over-riding view here, since it is very close to the heart of Al Gore's most passionate plea to reduce global warming. Speaking for myself, I strongly share Al's views.

Do you support the notion of ANYBODY (in politics or not) doing ALL they can to build as small as needed to live comfortably? :shrug:




More on going zero carbon here:

http://www.gocarbonzero.com/






RiverStone~

[mia]

1. I support it 100%, and am working on cutting my living space in half.

Join the Small House Society!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smallhousesocietyonline/

[RiverStone]

7. Cool link! Thanks mia.

:)

[Warpy]

2. Gee, it would be nice

but men who are in the power structure or who would like to be need entertainment and often housing facilities for important guests.

That's not how it should be, but that's how it is.

I'm perfectly happy to stay in the little slum house I was in when I was poor but I'm not in politics.

[PDittie]

3. So maybe it isn't really a housing problem

but a population problem...

:shrug:

[Double T]

4. 'WE' must IMMEDIATELY begin a new trend in residential construction.....

with the construction of much smaller residential homes. Smaller homes will require significantly less building materials and require substantially less electric and fossil fuel energy to power and heat/cool. Politicians, as well as corporate middle and executive management, believe that THEY are privileged and NOT subject to the rules and regulations that the rest of live by. The day of the mcmansion is DONE for ANYBODY that is a responsible human living on this seriously declining planet. John Edwards, in my opinion, says one thing and lives another!! Al Gore has vision that is ahead of its time;'WE' need to heed HIS words and act NOW!!!

[Possumpoint]

5. I Don't

want anybody telling me how big/small to build my house. I have a strong objection to zoning requirements that do that for given area. The answer to the basic question is how big I want it and how much I can afford.

Saying that, I believe it is my responsibility to build the house with the most modern energy saving devices built in. My wife and I built the house we live in 19 years ago. It has passive solar, energy efficient windows and R-19 walls.

Our next house will probably be underground where the temp is a constant 55-56 degrees. That should reduce our energy consumption greatly. Biggest question now is where and where will zoning allow it.

[Clark2008]

9. I wish we could do that, but we're not wealthy enough.

I wish someone would come up with the "poor man's guide to conserving energy."

We're not "poor," but we're not wealthy enough to install R-19 walls. Luckily, we could afford an old 40s house with new energy-efficient windows, gas heat and an iron door for the fireplace (so that it both heats more efficiently and keeps cold air from coming in).

[BlackVelvet04]

6. I often watch shows like

House Hunters and I'm amazed at the size of the houses people think they need. I know people who think my house is small at 1600 sf for two people. We really don't NEED this much space. One of the reasons we bought this house was for the land, the fact it is extremely energy efficient for an all electric house and it was affordable.

We have planted all native plants in our front yard and even though we are surrounded by forest we continue to plant trees in the yard. We are letting quite a bit of the back yard go back to nature.

I don't know where people got the idea that they need huge homes. Compared to the rest of the world it seems most American homes are HUGE.

[Clark2008]

8. I can't find that Edwards has a political history of advocating for

the working poor.

I can't find any legislation he introduced. I can't see that he did much when he was a senator to help the disadvantaged. Therefore, I contend that he does not, as you said, have "a political history advocated strongly for the working class and those even less fortunate."

Sorry - please continue with your interesting thread about Al Gore - who, btw, DOES have a political history of advocating for the disadvantaged...

[JVS]

10. But the poor benefit so much from him merely mentioning that he grew up poor all the time.

Makes poor people seem almost like real human beings ;-) How could anyone ask him to do more to help them in their plight?

[AlGore-08.com]

11. Yes

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