It's Not Easy Being Green

I'm usually overjoyed when the annual A.I.A.-MN convention rolls into town. In years past, it has meant nearly four stress-free days spent away from the office at company funded architecture seminars. While that may not sound like fun to you, it does get me away from the constantly ringing telephone, the always annoying co-workers and the 100% flavor-free office coffee.

This year, however, I am a bit conflicted. I always enjoy the time away from the office, I usually enjoy a few of the seminars and I most certainly enjoy the fact that being at the Minneapolis Convention Center puts me within walking distance of two of my favorite downtown drinking establishments (neither of which I will link to here in deference to the official pub of Fraters Libertas...but, believe me people, I take full advantage of "bar proximity" every chance I get).

The conflict I am suffering arises with the theme of this year's exposition. It's entitled "In the Mix" and it is officially described as an attempt to:

-encourage architects to become more engaged in the external community
-create more livable and sustainable communities
-explore the role of the architect of the future

Guess which bullet point has become the focus of this year's convention.

Let me just throw at you some of the "greenspeak" that has been flung my way in the last 72 hours:

-carbon neutral mortgages
-carbon neutral marriages
-carbon neutral car loans
-fossil fuel free cities
-compact walkable green cities
-thinking beyond the automobile
-sustainable transportation
-cities powered by the sun
-city building
-community building
-transit friendly retail
-urban villages
-greening the light rail corridor
-visioning

I seriously don't think I can survive one more day of this. I leave the convention each evening with a nagging urge to hack a few trees down, pour gasoline down the sewer and kick a squirrel or two. That's about what it's going to take to get my mind right again. If I could only find my pair of squirrel kicking shoes...