Blinded by The Light P. C. Young 1 2015 Sustainability: Nice word. What does it mean? Would dont live beyond your means be an appropriate and exact synonym. I prefer the Conservative plea: Subsidiarity - what can be done locally should remain local. What I am concerned about when I read about sustainability , as it is portrayed in such matters as the General Plan is what I call - whats the problem driving the solution? Wheres the Problem statement? I have yet to see what the exact problem is that determined that we should incorporate en masse, as a community, into our community? Further, I ask the question, how does this pertain to me and what will it cost and will it improve life in any quantifiable way? I have another question: who is pushing this sustainability and can I trust them? I have taught myself to only trust people who have earned my trust and that is limited to only a few people I actually know. This sustainability effort seems to come from an advocacy group, somebodies who are trying to sell me something. Something I dont necessarily need or maybe dont want. What I do know from having reviewed this General Plan and some of the requirements dictating how we must approach this planning are that some are going to be so expensive to implement. This 50% reflectivity to reduce visual noise from buildings. As someone who knows about optics, surfaces and manufacturing, I can tell you that this is one expensive proposition. How is this reflectivity going to be measured? Will it require a government standard (probably yes) who will apply this coating or surface treatment to rain gutters and to electrical tubing that will house cables, how long does this 50% reflectivity apply, one year, two years? If it falls off what then? how do you manage competition so that whomever is buying these General Planning Mandated material is not being soaked? In short all of this seems unrealistic and smells of high costs and government intervention. Once adopted it will be someone in an office somewhere else telling you what you must buy and whether it exceeds costs will not matter as cost is not a prerequisite only meeting this mandate is. So cost overruns will not deter compliance with these edicts. How is this sustainability? Sustainability is not living beyond your means. As an individual you must make certain that someone selling you a nice sounding idea is not selling you down the river and as a consequence inviting larger government into your local community. Such decisions should be made depending on what is affordable and is necessary. I do not see the problem statement from this sustainability. If it is higher costs then there are better ways to manage higher costs than attempting to paint a component on a building so that it doesnt reflect too much light.
Posted on: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 22:32:40 +0000