NESEA Building Energy 08: Day 2

The official start to the trade show segment of the NESEA’s conference was an address from Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. One government official with more than twenty-five years’ worth of experience echoed the general sentiment when he said that Governor Patrick’s speech was a “shot in the arm”. Alternative energy has had little support from the last few state administrations, so Governor Patrick’s commitment to, and enthusiasm for, moving forward with renewables is going down pretty well indeed.

Hour and a half long sessions scheduled three times throughout the day are arranged on different tracks, like “Integrating Good Building & Renewables” and “Green Communities: Think Global, Act Local.” I went to “Offshore Wind: The Path Forward,” which looked at the history of wind power, its current status in the Northeast, America, and Europe, and its potential future from scientific, administrative, and technological vantages. For an hour and a half session, it was more than educational–it was illuminating.

Complementing the sessions today and tomorrow is the trade show, where more than 150 exhibitors are offering expert run-downs on their products or businesses. This trade show is open to the public for a minimal fee, so if you’re in Boston and curious, definitely stop by–the Seaport World Trade Center is right on the Silver Line, and the trade show doesn’t close its doors until 7:00pm tonight (4:00pm tomorrow).

I have to admit I was a little mystified while wandering the aisles: stationed among booths extolling the virtues of wind, geothermal, and solar energies, among booths touting their green architectural practices, among booths providing you with information on environmentally friendly building materials, is a booth for…Wal-Mart. Apparently, the fact that you can buy “green” cleaning supplies cheaply at Wal-Mart somehow makes up for the corporation’s untold environmental impact from shipping, quick and dirty development and construction, and usage of almost exclusively imported goods and materials. It’s a touch out of place, though I’m glad to know, at least, that you can buy green products there as well as conventional.

An afternoon session on how to use the tools of marketing to help our society, with all of its consumerism and associated values, move successfully towards a low-carbon economy. Emphasis was placed on the importance of the teenage demographic here. Did you know that our nation’s teenagers take 45 minutes’ worth of showers every day? Focus groups have been encouraging: they want to be inspired rather than lectured, and informed and left to make their own choices rather than told what to do. Sounds pretty reasonable. If the rest of our country’s population could be that open-minded about learning about the effects of our actions and habits on energy consumption and the world, it would be a good thing.

A London-based marketing expert suggested we should be using marketing to make conservation and clean energy really, really, really cool. The sooner it becomes a true status indicator, the sooner real people will actually buy into it. Figuratively–but also literally. Energy efficient homes, wind energy from clean-option utilities, solar panels, hybrid vehicles: right now, it’s just the people who are educated and passionate about a healthier future who are buying. Everyone and their neighbor has to be doing it because it just looks so darn cool. We won’t see societal change until the ugly green label is ripped off a low-impact lifestyle, and a shiny new one slapped on.

Next came a run-down of Northeast state incentives and efficiency programs–primarily New York, Delaware, and Massachusetts–you’re better off visiting DSIRE.org than listening to me recap here, if you want to know what’s going on in your own neighborhood. Besides, the trade show is winding down, and I want to go see who won the recycled chewing gum wrapper handbag at the silent auction. Come by tomorrow, or come next year: NESEA knows how to throw a conference.