Which green are people talking about?

I've been busy planning for a trip way overseas to visit my brother. I'll be reporting on a car free life in Southeast Asia and talk about the pros and cons there of living on foot. Speaking of which, yesterday I had a marathon day tromping around San Francisco, looking at the new developments popping up over the city. There is one called the Arterra which is suppose to be San Francisco's first "Green Building", I was struck how "green" these days is draped in the cache of hip and stylish, while in the past it was couched in simplicity and understatedness. I'm not sure I could live among all the hot people in the building, I mean global warming is making things pretty warm already. But maybe a cool cat like me could bring a little balance. ;)

Coincidentally, the San Francisco Chronicle has an editorial on how the new green is predicated on spending lots of green, on new things, and that it goes back to a consumption model as oppose to a reuse model. My place in Colorado is amazing in that it's over 100 years old and still standing, however the new construction is jokingly referred to as "20 year houses on 30 year mortgages"

The goal is not to think about being green, it's about creating a world where we don't think about green, we just live it.