If you measure success by the number of attendees, the sixth annual Green Festival in San Francisco http://www.greenfestivals.org/ on November 9-11 was a winner. It sure felt like the anticipated 35,000 attendees did indeed attend. With over 150 speakers and 400 exhibitors plus workshops about sustainable living, the organizers claim it is the world’s largest sustainability conference.
“Green Building: How a Healthier Built Environment Can Benefit All” was one of the panel discussions that I attended. The panelists included: Sean Culman, USGBC http://www.usgbc.org/ certified architect; Kevin Griffith, real estate developer for affordable housing; Sandy Mendler, sustainable building designer; Michael Willis, architect for neighborhood revitalization projects.
The panelists noted that there has been an important shift in green building in the last few years. Sustainable design was once just an overlay to the existing design process. Now the panelists see more integrative system solutions where the engineers, architects and designers are collaborating closely to create sustainable buildings. It has gone much further than just using green materials such as recycled carpets and cabinetry. Rather than reacting to client’s wishes, the panelists are more proactive about sustainability.
Another key shift in sustainable building is the realization of cost benefits. According to the panelists, until recently the cost benefits were realized over time and initial costs of sustainable building were higher. Now, initial costs are generally the same as non-sustainable design costs. This is a pivotal point for the green building industry. The conversation has shifted its focus on two key issues: site selection and water access/usage. Site selection and health issues are now linked as people pose the question: “Do suburbs make you fat?” The lack of community and the dependence on cars in many suburbs are cited as contributors to poor health. Generally, the feeling is that the denser the city, the better for not only for the environment but for personal health.
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Companies or Speakers?
When I went to the Green Festival in 2006, I spent all of my time talking and looking at companies that were displaying and didn't get a chance to see any of the speakers. :O
Do you think one is more important than the other to experience at the event?
Victoria E
Writer, Model, Environmentalist, Crafter, Yogi
http://victoria-e.com/
Companies or Speakers
There were so many great speakers and since I had a limited amount of time, I focused mainly on the presentations. I heard Amy Goodman (Democracy Now), Paul Hawken, Deepak Chopra, Fritjof Capra, a panel with management from successful green companies (Cliff Bar, Klimpton Hotels, Organic Valley,GAP Adventures) and a few others. I think the quality of the speakers is consistently high each year. I did spend some time chatting with the folks at the booths of Organic Valley, Planet Green, Mother Jones and Annie's Naturals which resulted in some interesting banter.