The tragic accident in the Gulf is going to affect us on so many levels for a long time and we don’t even know to what extent. I am passionate about many things; and the loss of the oil workers to the large and microscopic animals on the coast and in the water is weighing heavy on my mind. We have learned in our profession that designers and architects are first in line to create, educate and mold our living spaces in a sustainable manner from product choices and many other facets, to our clients. We also have control over what is removed during renovations, and can eliminate waste in general headed for our landfills. What baffles me is there is not more jumping up and down screaming from our design leaders, our blogging buffs – both residential and commercial and any designer who may have a large following about the oil spill and why this is an example of our need to turn away from non-renewableresources and the products that include them. It’s not even on the front pages of the national ASID, IIDA or AIA websites about what we can do to help – but when a hurricaine hits and destroys homes there are big pushes for better design practices. Why not with our environment? If we don’t act with as much vigor as we did for Katrina or Haiti, we won’t have any credibility 5-10 years down the road when we are feeling the effects, environmentally and economically. ‘The earth corralled these toxins far into her core for a reason – and we are releasing a giant’.
