makower’s Recent Comments

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  Why Americans Can't Go Green

  See my recent post on research on Americans' attitudes toward the environment. Among other things, it makes the case that a big, one-size-fits-all message campaign won't work.

  Joel Makower
  Two Steps Forward blogOn No, seriously posted 3 years, 1 month ago 13 Responses

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  Wait . . . there's more!

  In my story, I was remiss in not mentioning the Green Guide Institute's Green Hospitals report (an egregious error given that I sit on the Green Guide Institute's board of directors). The report names America's top 10 green hospitals, based on a range of factors, from building and maintenance practices to indoor air quality to "healthy hospital food." All told, it's a great reference for understanding the full range of green practices a hospital can take.On Hospitals and doctors' offices look to cure their environmental ills posted 3 years, 7 months ago 3 Responses

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  What Was GE Thinking?

  What do we make of the fact that NBC, which airs "West Wing", is owned by GE, one of the world's biggest makers of nuclear power plants? Was running this episode an exercise in editorial freedom or idiocy?On Sunday's West Wing was rather ham-handed with its nuclear critique posted 3 years, 10 months ago 11 Responses

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  Hypocrisy or Not, Akst's Got a Point

  I agree with your condemnation of Gotcha! journalism, but it doesn't hurt to be reminded from time to time that shopping -- or building -- our way to environmental salvation isn't an option. And a lot of well-heeled environmentalists think that building, or being, eco-chic is a political statement. It's not.

  And sometimes, the truth hurts. A few years ago, my wife and I were interviewing contractors to build our dream home -- replete with eco-friendly woods and efficiency up the wazoo. One environmentally savvy contractor took a look at the plans, heard my plea about being "environmentally responsible," and said: "To be frank, the most environmentally friendly thing you can do is to cut the size of the house in half."

  It was an ego-deflating punch in the gut, but he was right.

  In the end, we opted out of building, deciding to "recycle" our current house.On Hypocrisy again posted 3 years, 10 months ago 6 Responses

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  Too Cheap to Meter

  I'd have to go with this one:

  "Our children will enjoy in their homes electrical energy too cheap to meter." -- Lewis L. Strauss, speech to the National Association of Science Writers, New York City, September 16th, 1954

   [Source: New York Times, September 17, 1954]On We've already collected nature quotes -- how about some quotes on energy posted 4 years, 3 months ago 8 Responses