I really hate more government involvement in our daily lives. I am a LEED Accredited Professional and as such, I should be happy that there are more regulations to get people to conserve our natural resources. But there is that rebellious side of me that says, "I can make my own decisions!"
As an interior designer, I always make my clients aware of the best products for the longest life cycle, or ease of maintenance. Selecting finishes that will hold up to the rigours of daily use is important, whether they are in a house with a family of 5 or an office building with hundreds of people walking through. It is my business to educate my clients on innovative products or uses of existing products that will help save them time and money. And many of those products have recycled content or can be recycled at the end of their usefulness. But ultimately it is their decision to embrace the concept.
I attended a webinar today where one of the moderators used the examples of "the carrot, the stick, or nothing." to get the use of sustainable best practices in regional projects. The old adage, "You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar" comes to mind. The "stick" was the example that made me bristle. I don't believe anyone likes to have a stick shaken at them. If the Green Movement is going to be a success, we need to make it palatable, not a forced adherence.
