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Continually, I hear from business about how we are breaking bounds on “Green” at the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce.  This is really fun for me; business as “green”?  Is that no longer an oxymoron?  Ironically, we are focusing more on the “business case” for going green than ever before; and yet, it makes more sense than ever.

Angela Miller from North County Transit District (NCTD) spoke at the Carlsbad Chamber Sustainability Committee Meeting.  The crowd was wowed! From those who understand large data center and technology needs to those who work from a home office, there was much to learn.

Think about what may seem like a simple concept:  cooling. Does even your personal data device create heat?  Ms. Miller encouraged us to think about our “technology footprint”.  Do you have more computer technology devices than you did last year?  Have you increased your energy demand based on increased computing demand?  Consider the energy necessary just to cool even a small data center filled with computer servers. Or consider a small home office filled with computer and printer devices.

Here in north San Diego County, and nationally via the Public Transportation Association, NCTD is a leader in sustainability. We have special challenges in our area; we are in a well developed urban sprawl designed for automobile transit. There are some fabulous little communities mixed in though, and this is where our lessons lie. What makes a community? What makes people want to hang out in the street or on the stoop? What design principles must be incorporated into our new urban design that will create an environment of  ”community”?

How can we develop our communities in a way that allows us to live and work and play with options to the expense, stress, and impact of driving our personal vehicles?