Green, and Not That Weird

For our years in academia and a continuing commitment to understanding social and economic policy, we’ve heard that ecological friendly initiatives won’t be widely popular unless economic incentive is the driving force. We thought the whole emissions trading market would help out our ambitions for green, before a certain someone backed out of the Kyoto Protocol. Recently, with gas going for over $3 a gallon (still way less per ounce than a Dunkie’s large regular), we were sure that the hybrid cars would make way for pure electrics or at least heavy reliance on mass transit systems. Maybe that’s happening. Slowly. Take your stance on the MBTA’s most recent proposal for a fare hike and it’s ecological and social merits. It may be the housing market's building boom that moves to green first. Transportation may follow.

The front page above the fold story in the Globe’s Style & Arts section today carried an article “it’s not easy being green…but it’s getting easier,” talking about the new bamboo chic that’s making inroads into interior design. The piece revolved around Jeannette Kearney’s desire for sustainable design when she remodeled her Lexington pad. There wasn’t much discussion about how or why new home furnishings without toxic chemicals and/or synthetics are coming into style, but maybe, just maybe, there’s an economic force behind it. With the price of petroleum products increasing every day it’s getting more and more expensive to make many of the plastics that go into many furnishings. Perhaps this is just another one of Bostonist’s crackpot theories. We’ll believe it when we see it – sustainable furniture might hit the hub in force around the time IKEA hits Assembly Square. The real question might be will the Swede’s bring it?

Desk and chair is just one of the designs from Moe Design Studio that, in our minds, doesn't really look that weird. See it and more of the six green design firms who are showcasing their wares at the ICFF.