Photo: Construction site near my home
Significance: Potted plants hanging from the temporary construction fence
I do not have confirmation on this (because when I asked a local, he wasn't 100% sure of the specifics either) - but the idea is that all construction sites in Taiwan are required to provide a certain quota of living plants on site, to counter balance the release of harmful emissions into the atmosphere during construction.
As many of you know - I accepted my new position in Taiwan (for many reasons, but one big reason... is...) because I wanted the opportunity to have more involvement in green building design. I truly enjoy working, and have always been that way, but I aspire to take it to another level - to be passionate about my work, and to know I can take pride in what I do. This is my chance, and today just reminded me of how appreciative I am to be surrounded with like-minded team members who are excited about the same things, for the same reasons.
Being "green" is all the rage right now, but when you ask someone to define what it even means to be green... I think it is hard to say. A: Because there are a lot of cookie cutter answers out there that don't quite reach the depth of it, B: Because there are so many different ways to be "green" that it is difficult to describe in one succinct answer. That being said, I'm not brave enough to define "what it means to be green" in this blog post at this exact moment... but I will say that I learn new ideas about how to be green-er all of the time (and I also observe plenty of "green washing" daily as well). [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwashing]
Today's conversations with my team members reminded me why I am here, and what I have to offer - because they were the sort of conversations that left me excited, ready for more, and passionate about what I do from day to day. And today's walk home from work reminded me that there are always new ways, fresh ideas, to contribute. [I would really like to know the specifics of the construction regulations here (the plants) if anyone knows all of the answers...] :)
What an interesting idea. Not sure hanging them on the fence was the best plan, Lizzie you could think of a better way to do this!
ReplyDeleteYou're dead on about green-er and greenwashing. Both abound. That precisely coincides with my own experience. Just when you think something is green (example: hanging pots at a construction site) someone pokes a hole in it and it raises a new question to consider. (Are those annuals that use lots of precious water? and the pots are made of WHAT?) Still, having something there to produce oxygen and make people think about sustainability is a GOOD thing.
ReplyDeleteLizzie, as usual you make me proud. I hope I am a little like you!