deepwater horizon and us

Tomorrow marks the first anniversary of the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. This disaster - which took 11 lives and started a five-month-long oil spill - should have triggered more serious discussions of energy and transportation policy. The sixty-year process of crafting a car-dependent society has left us with a well-known litany of problems: social isolation and segregation, climate change, health problems ranging from asthma to obesity, environmental degradation and resource depletion. Let's take a moment to reflect on what we're doing to address these issues at tin box, and what we still need to do better.

what does sustainability look like?

The technological advances that are leading toward a more sustainable future often don't appear that different from what we make and use today. Electric cars, like the Nissan LEAF we test drive last month, look and move a lot like gasoline powered cars. From a mobility standpoint, they wouldn't change our driving habits or cities much at all. They just have a much smaller carbon footprint than conventional cars.

The same is true of architecture, for the most part. Environmental sustainability often produces no major visible effects. Caulk and insulation are pretty much invisible, for example, and water- and energy-saving fixtures and appliances are often indistinguishable from their guzzlin' cousins.

What should sustainability look like? Is there an innately sustainable aesthetic?

In the meantime, though, be sure to include a 220V outlet to recharge your car.