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You gotta be green

Vail Daily Editorial
Vail CO, Colorado

How green are we really going to be unless somebody makes us follow a few rules?

Nobody likes to have the government telling them what to do, especially when it comes to their property, but some green building requirements are needed to get most of us thinking more about the planet when we design our homes and offices.

Well-thought-out green regulations are designed to make our lives better, and it’s not just about our dreaded carbon footprint or decadent water use.



Aside from helping us build homes that will do less harm to the environment and put less strain on resources, a lot of green building techniques will save us money on utility bills and even make our homes last longer.

In some cases, the electric company will pay us for the power we generate with our solar panels and hydro-electric systems.

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One local builder quoted in a recent story says most builders he knows have no problem with the county’s green building code.

And other developers say going green can be a marketing tool ” ski-in, ski-out and 100-percent solar powered!

But there are those who say green guidelines that developers could volunteer to follow are fairer. Unfortunately, guidelines and volunteerism won’t force the major change in mindset our society needs when it comes to devouring our resources.

Like other major changes in the culture ” the Civil Rights Movement, the New Deal ” sometimes government has to force its citizens to do what’s in their best interest.

” Matt Zalaznick for the Editorial Board


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