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First, there is being responsible and practical which is not separate from development with or without claims of being green. Lots and lots of green practices make sense whether or not you think think the planet is about to boil over and we are all going to die, or not. Believing that the green movement is not going to drive the economy is not the…[Read more]

-abolish current farm subsidy policy. replace with incentives for crop diversity and smaller scale agg.

– Legalize and tax cannabis (stop spending billions on persecuting non-violent / no victim offenders / release those in captivity at huge cost to tax payers) I don’t smoke the stuff but also don’t believe in wasting money on a substance less harmful than alcohol or cigarettes.
– Revamp our education system to compete with China / India / Europe…[Read more]

I’d add to your list
-Maintenance and improvements to water infrastructure.
-Revise energy policy.

There’s a reason it’s been called ‘the labor burden’ for ages…

I just wanted to add that I think healthcare is actually an important component to economic sustainability and regrowth.

It’s a complicated topic that we probably dont want to delve into here, but afterrunning into some health complications over the past few weeks the issue has really hit home with me.

Quick Points/We need:

-Comprehensive…[Read more]

I might argue that it’s not so much about our corporate tax policy as it is our trade policies and the fact that China has much more lax labor laws than the US, particularly with regard to the manufacturing industry.

Thanks for this response on the tax issue. And government in general. It might not do things right all the time, but its a hell of a lot better than leaving it all to corporations!

You are absolutely right about the $1.06 vs $1.86. When you cut taxes (especially personal income taxes) on the rich they just put it away because that money is…[Read more]

So if you believe that the quote green economy is going to crash and burn, where do you think the “E”conomy is going to go?

This seems like a typical cynical analysis of any possible variation from the status quo. People hate change, and it is far easier to find fault in a new idea than to recognize problems with the old ways of doing…[Read more]

Andrew, I think you have two separate arguments here. The first one I am in total agreement with. “Green” as a marketing tool is stupid, not to mention meaningless. As Thomas said, it is basically a way for customers to alleviate a guilty conscience. This is especially true in your “e-surance” example. If you recieve your Hummer car insurance bill…[Read more]

I cannot think of any progressive act that was the result simply of people deciding what was “right.” Whether it is clean drinking water for Paris in the 15th Century or the Clean Air Act, change comes when the status quo is no longer possible. As human population has soared in recent decades and the consumer economy spread to China and now to…[Read more]

One of the guys in my office said Solar power is our generations Hoover Dam..

You are not at the forefront of thought, Thomas, but unfortunately occupying the broad boring middle – everyone in America goes to church, doubts global warming, believes in the absolute free market and that govenment should keep their hands off their medicare..Get over…[Read more]

@Thomas, Like I said, no common grounds, different universes, different mythologies.different facts..
..But do you realize how ‘party line’ you sound? Libertarians seem to think they are at the forefront of radicalism, when first off, their agenda serves big business perfectly..Secondly, it has all become codified, holy gospel, unquestioned..You…[Read more]

Well said!

I DO!!!!!!!!

Good questions, very good argument. I always arrive back at the big “E”; Energy. Green energy will drive the green economy, but not until the demand for oil drives the price per barrel back up to triple digits. Solar/renewables need to be able to compete with oil without the help of subsidies. The only way for this to happen is for the price of…[Read more]

Well said. I do believe that the government will mandate LEED on all projects in the near future. I also agree with you that there is huge expense associated with requiring LEED and that it will make projects unfeasible for a lot of people. I also think the government doesn’t really care and that it falls perfectly into the larger plan to…[Read more]

Trace One – Your rant is so disjointed I don’t even know where to begin.

Lets start with jobs. The government doesn’t CREATE jobs. They may employ people but that is just redistributing tax dollars. Private enterprise, entrepreneurs, creates jobs. The majority of Americans work for small businesses. Making it easier to start businesses and…[Read more]

Hey Trace One, try this: apply to one job a day on USA Jobs and buy a lottery ticket everyday. You’ll be cashing your mega millions check before you get a job with the EPA/Forest Service/National Parks/whatever gov organization is on USA jobs. Landscape architects simply do not have the technical background that these government agencies desire.…[Read more]

I’m a little surprised on how little consensus there is on something this fundamental to our practice, although this is an admittedly small sampling of opinions. I guess it’s just another aspect of our profession, being sort of an intermediary between the other more specialized fields, that we need to be fluent in either system of…[Read more]