Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Eco-Terrorism meets Eco-Terrorism

The following message was left at the smoky, fiery scene of a multi-million dollar development featured in the 2007 "Street of Dreams" showcase in Snohomish County near Seattle, Washington: "Built Green? Nope BLACK!". What is that supposed to mean? Law enforcement officials suspect a group known as the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) of starting the blaze, which destroyed five 4000+ square foot McMansions that were marketed as built green. The ELF group originated in the United Kingdom and is accused of being an eco-terrorist group. Why would an eco-terrorist group torch a sustainable development? It doesn't make sense. While the developers took pride in creating this green themed housing development, others were disputing these claims of being environmentally responsible for several reasons. 1) The location of the homes contributes to urban sprawl and lack of habitat for wildlife 2) One could question the eco-friendliness of a 4000+ square foot home 3) The homes were built on a natural aquifer and threatened the only natural source of drinking water for about 20,000 nearby residents. For many residents, the "Street of Dreams" was a "stream of nightmares" and the true eco-terrorists are the developers.

It appears that the developers made a significant effort to develop a sustainable, eco-friendly housing project, but were in the long run more motivated by green dollars than green values. This incident gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "green is the new black".

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