Designing the World So All Can Thrive

Marc Rosenbaum, Energysmiths


01/25/2009

Marc RosenbaumName: Marc Rosenbaum
Business: Energysmiths
Position: Founder and principal
NESEA member since: 1979
Website: http://www.energysmiths.com

Business description: We help people create buildings and communities that connect us to the natural world, relying on sustainable systems that support both human and planetary health.

How do you define sustainability?
I like architect Carol Venolia's definition -- If you keep on doing what you're doing, you can keep on doing what you're doing!

What project are you most proud of?
That's a hard one! I'm delighted with the new Student Housing at the College of the Atlantic. The two projects at Vermont Law School, Oakes and Debevoise Halls, were very satisfying experiences and work really well. The Deep Energy Retrofit work I'm now doing is very challenging and fun.

What energy advice do you have for the new president?
Let's fix our existing building stock, and invest in public transit and rail, weaning the country from the automobile. And forget nuclear power and re-direct that funding to renewables.

What promising technology would you like to know more about?
Vacuum insulation.

What's the public's biggest misunderstanding regarding sustainable energy systems?
The belief that you can unplug oil, gas, and coal, and substitute renewables without changing how we live. It's the "I want to put solar on my house so I can get rid of the oil furnace," when the house is using 1,800 gallons of oil annually.

What prompted you to join NESEA?
I needed to learn a lot, quickly (this was 1979) and NESEA was the best shot - and it's proven out to be more than I could have hoped for.

What's the most irritating example of 'greenwashing' you can think of?

That you get your LEED rating without proving the energy performance in real life.

Parting shot ..
The question that is hanging out there is, how do we create a just world for all beings, not just humans? We have to design the world so that all can thrive, and until we do, we're not headed in the right direction.