I always look forward to conferences I attend to learn new things, see new products, and listen to dynamic people. This years Green Building Conference in Dallas was no different. I got the chance to shake the hand of a great man, Mr. T. Boone Pickens who spoke at a dinner I attended. Mr. Pickens warned not to get sucked back into the lure of cheap oil that is was only temporary. By years end we will purchase 70% of our oil supply from other coutries. His plan of wind energy and natural gas semis and vehicles sounds very promising. I also learned from author, Joel Makeower who says to companies,”being green isnt enough, we must be better as well.” Joel talked about a refocus of relocalization and reconnection in society. He encouraged us to think not so much of the vision if our green initiatives dont work but what things will look like if they do. Like many others ne believes our time is limited like sand in a bottle. He believes 5,000 days worth of sand. I also got to know personaly one of greatest green leaders of our time. Prefab home designer and builder Michelle Kaufman. Her persona spills out confidanceand success. Her ideas were eye opening to someone like me who thought prefab contemporary homes were too far in the future. For example she taught us to look at windows as mechanisms for light, heat and cool instead of appearance. She spoke of rolling sun shades and trellis to accomplish the same things as well. There are some people you meet that you are instantly drawn to for their ideas and their leadership. Michelle was one of those people. So to answer the question of where do we go from here would be as far as our ideas and motivations will take us. From this I developed a new phrase for us, ” Olde Heritage, New Ideas.”
