The Original Green: Unlocking the Mystery of True Sustainability

by Stephen A. Mouzon, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Foreword)

The Original Green is the sustainability our ancestors knew by heart. Originally (before the Thermostat Age) they had no choice but to build green, otherwise people would not survive very long. The Original Green aggregates and distributes the wisdom of sustainability through the operating system of living traditions, producing sustainable places in which it is meaningful to build sustainable buildings. Original Green sustainability is common-sense and plain-spoken, meaning "keeping things going in a healthy way long into an uncertain future." Sustainable places should be nourishable because if you cannot eat there, you cannot live there. They should be accessible because we need many ways to get around, especially walking and biking because those methods do not require fuel. They should be serviceable because we need to be able to get the basic services of life within walking distance. We also should be able to make a living where we are living if we choose to. They should be securable against rough spots in the uncertain future because if there is too much fear, the people will leave. Sustainable buildings should be lovable because if they cannot be loved, they will not last. They should be durable because if they cannot endure, they are not sustainable. The should be flexible because if they endure, they will need to be used for many uses over the centuries. They should be frugal because energy and resource hogs cannot be sustained in a healthy way long into an uncertain future.

Genres: Urban Planning, Architecture, Urban, Design, Nonfiction

280 pages, Paperback

First published January 31, 2010

Reviews

[Will Blasingame · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think a lot of people are fooled by the simplicity of the book and how easy to read it is, but think deeply about what is being said...

[Louise · Rating 2 out of 5]

My reaction to this book is mixed. On the one hand, I do agree that there are certain characteristics of buildings and communities that we need to work toward, so that they are not energy hogs with terrible and temporary design. The disintegration of community is also a problem that I agree needs to be addressed. The photos in this book of sustainable vs. unsustainable are also generally quite good.

On the other hand, the tone and sometimes level of scholarship of this book were often disappointing. The tone of the book often seems to come across as cynical. This in turn makes it seem like sustainability is an idea for crackpots and conspiracy theorists (which it is not), and it’s hard to popularize it to the mainstream when it’s promoted in this way. Furthermore, it could stand some further rigour, especially with the graphics. Axes of graphs are frequently not labeled, so it seems unprofessional and/or confusing, and could cause others to dismiss what might otherwise be good information. I think this book would be great if it had more scientific rigour (not so much bigger scope, but its existing scope better done), and if the tone had been more hopeful in the sense that sustainable design is the way to go just on principle by its nature, even if oil weren’t running out or temperatures weren’t rising.

[Arturo Cruz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una lectura concisa y simple. Exhibe de una manera muy general los pasos a seguir para modificar los diseños de nuestro entorno desde el nivel más pequeño al más grande (casas, comunidades, ciudades, etc.) a favor de un entorno más sustentable a largo plazo, previendo que cada individuo haga lo que pueda con las herramientas que tenga disponibles. Usando como punto de anclaje los diseños funcionales con base a las características de nuestras localidades (clima, terreno, recursos, etc.) y el apoyo a los negocios locales. Usa como ejemplo principal a las ciudades cuya movilidad están centradas en el automóvil particular y la cultura del consumismo, los cuales repercuten en las edificaciones modernas y nos lleva a crear 'edificios descartables' cuyo tiempo estimado de vida es mucho más corto que los edificios antiguos. Una redacción digerible, desde el punto de vista de un arquitecto. Obra apoyada por el actual Secretario de Salud y Recursos Humanos de Estados Unidos, tal vez como uno de sus últimos actos como ambientalista.

[Logan Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing crazy writing-wise, but the ideas are gold. It was a great reminder that the key to sustainable places isn't waiting for Elon Musk or a new technology to save the day. It's about paradigm shifts (like walking and biking instead of driving, constructing one building that lasts 100s of years, etc.).

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

What does it really mean to be "green" or "sustainable"? This book strips away all of the gadgets and products that claim to help us lead greener lives and focuses on practices and actions that should be at the core of the green movement. Everyone should understand the concepts in this book. It's a quick read with lots of pictures.

My primary concern with this book is that Mouzon is preaching to the choir. Most of the people who will read this book already know and might practice most of the information. The people who should read it are the ones that won't. So, give this book as a present to your parents, friends, and siblings to show them what green means.

[Grant Humphreys · Rating 4 out of 5]

In typical Mouzon fashion, Steve invites the reader to consider an original perspective of sustainability, the built environment, consumerism, human habitation and settlement patterns. His approach is fresh, sensible and compelling. Unfortunately for the world as we know it, it is currently completely counter cultural. Hopefully more people will allow Steve Mouzon, who uses his guise of architect as a platform for being a cultural Johnny Appleseed, to affect the public opinion and show a new way to live sustainably.