I think we can all agree that green is a snowball that is slowly getting bigger and bigger as it rolls down the mountainside.  But contrary to what marketing firms want you to believe, not everybody is on the green bandwagon yet.

So here’s the question: why not? What stops you from going green?

I’ve heard a lot of reasons.

Last week I was talking with Pam Worner of Green Dog Enterprises and she said the economic downturn isn’t helping anything. High-end home builders can still go green because their buyers can afford the premium. But everyday home builders just can’t afford it right now, she said.

Usually, what I hear is that green is too expensive. So I, for one, am surprised by the current results of my poll at right. So far, what stops the majority of respondents from building green is people just aren’t asking for it.

But as you can see, not that many people have answered the poll yet. If you haven’t please choose an answer. If you have more to share, please add your comment below.

I want to know why you’re not building/designing/working green… what stops you, and what, if anything, could convince you to make the jump!

Last week I came up with my own “brilliant” idea: create an online forum where people that work in green buildings would record their experiences to create a better understanding of how green buildings really feel.

That post was in response to Weber Thompson’s blog that is doing exactly that. If you missed it, that blog also answered my question on how the team is measuring their building’s performance (see tag below for Weber Thompson).

Now I’m asking you what your brilliant ideas are?

It’s no secret that Seattle (and Chicago, and Portland and New York etc….) are racing to be the greenest city in the country. So if Seattle wants to hold onto that goal, what should it do? Should density be the focus or should it be regulations through things like stricter energy codes?

On a broader scale, is urban planning the answer or is it more incentives?   

For a British perspective on what cities should do, see a BBC story here. For a video on the nature of sustainability and its future from the perspective of Sir Norman Foster, click here. Or you could check out Sustainable Ballard’s Web site here to see what one Seattle neighborhood thinks, or Sustainable Capitol Hill’s site here.

Yesterday, I asked the question ‘what do you think is the greenest project(s) in the region‘ and so far, I have received no comments. Unless  I get some comments soon, I will be forced to conclude that you, dear reader, have no opinion on the topic (which I just know isn’t true).

So tell me, what do you think are some of the greenest projects in the region? 

If there ever was a post to comment on, comment on this one. You are more than welcome to post anonymously, as evidenced by a past comment by ‘Rico Suave’ (to hear the hilarious song about the real Rico, click here). To read the overview post of the AIA Seattle COTE’s green awards and see pictures of award winners, see below.

To get your creative juices flowing, I’ll broaden the question: what is the greenest project(s) you have worked on, or know of, in the Pacific Northwest (or Pacific region)? It can be built or unbuilt. What do you think is particularly green about it? Perhaps you think it’s the Oregon Health & Science University’s Center for Health and Healing by GBD Architects (above left) or the “inhabit” unit in Seattle by Mithun and HyBrid Architecture (right). P.S. the DJC has written stories on both those projects here and here.

Until you answer, I will be sitting here at the computer, waiting for your response. Come on, I’m begging here!

Here at the DJC, this blog is going swimmingly. I’m having fun and I hope you are too, but to represent a larger audience, I’m seeking out some more green bloggers.

We’re looking for people that work in the industry in some shape or form and have news and events to contribute. You’d get a nifty little picture on the side of the page and have access to the site to post whatever green building-related events, ideas, or rants you desired (but no pay. This is purely informationally driven). You could post as often (or not) as you chose.

Interested? E-mail me at Katiez@djc.com with a couple ideas of things you’d want to post about. Remember the goal is to share information rather than advertise.

And don’t forget the Super Challenge below about green codes in Seattle. There’s some pretty interesting viewpoints represented in the comment section so far, I’m waiting for more!

When I’m out in the field at forums and talks, I hear over and over that the construction and design community wants to build sustainable projects, but Seattle’s code prevents them from really pushing the envelope. But rarely does a talk go into the specifics of what exactly needs to change.

So here’s my challenge for you: answer what exactly needs to change and how. I want to know what general issues are problematic, how code makes it difficult to build green or incorporate green features, and what you would change to make the process easier. I welcome personal experiences and third-party stories, comparisons working in other jurisdictions or just ideas. It can be about residential, office, mixed-use, etc. I’d also welcome comments from areas outside Seattle (or Washington for that matter).

What’s the biggest hurdle? It it soil issues, gray water or water rights? Is it related to density or materials?

Conversely, is there anything Seattle recently did to make life (and projects) a whole lot easier? 

Post your thoughts and experience. You never know who could be listening……