Looking for Green Retirement Communities? By Carol Gulyas
http://www.greengeezer.com
Editors Note: ' 'Topretirements.com asked Carol Gulyas of Greengeezer.com to give her thoughts on the status of green retirement communities – this article is her generous contribution.''
Baby boomers are known for their interest in the green movement, going back to even before the very first “Earth Day”. Now that the oldest boomers are old enough to be thinking about retirement communities, many of them have the notion that those should be green, or environmentally sustainable. In some cases, unfortunately, builders and developers are seeking to profit from that interest without actually delivering a sustainable product. This article will help you understand some of the basic principles of sustainability, as well as how to evaluate greenness claims made about your new community.
What is “green”?
A “green” community or home:
• Meets or beats the EPA’s Energy Star standards - http://www.energystar.gov/
• Achieves high standards of indoor air quality
• Uses building materials that are locally produced and or/recycled
• Incorporates water conservation and storm water management
• Achieves a minimal footprint on the land
• Keeps carbon emissions low through use of renewable energy or super-efficient building envelopes
Baby boomers have other demands for their retirement communities that feed into the green movement - ready access to culture, shopping, and public transportation. This means that boomers will want to live in a “non-sprawl” location, which is consistent with principles of green living. A fascinating recent article in Metromode, "Downtowns are Becoming Boomertowns", ( http://www.metromodemedia.com/features/MIBoomers0042.aspx ) explains why many boomers are opting for an urban lifestyle in retirement. With its public transportation and denser housing, an urban setting is inherently more sustainable than most suburban or small town living situations.
Caveat Emptor –Green is More Than Just a Word
Many developers sprinkle their marketing language with words suggesting environmental sensitivity (“eco-sensitive” is one of the terms connoting much but promising little), while planting their developments smack in the middle of wetlands, farmlands and forests, miles from any store, cultural amenities, or public transportation. "Greenwashing", as this is called, is unfortunately very common. The golf courses in many of these communities, generally an environmental scourge due to heavy pesticide and water use, do not help (information on making a golf course more sustainable can be found at Audubon International - http://www.audubonintl.org/programs/acss/golf.htm ). Be wary of communities that talk about protecting natural resources, environmental quality, and biodiversity - without any tangible proof... |
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