joepearn

It goes without saying that our actions of "the past" affects our choices in the future. The need for quality, energy efficient, green homes exists regardless of where we live. However, the road to this goal should not be scattered with the corpses of skilled trades workers. We can not afford to lose skilled and knowledgable workers for the sake of producing houses even more quickly than we do today. The production of quality, environmentally friendly, energy efficient homes should be a "no brainer". Educating and training for future home builders needs to include the element of innovative change. Hopefully the homebuilding industry can avoid many of the problems that plague the North American automotive industry.
Can we learn and accept that a family of four does not need 4000sq.ft. of living space just because we can manage the mortgage at historically low rates?
Can the industry develope appropriate responses to meet the nations housing needs? It is not just a matter of new technologies and techniques but also of finding ways to provide affordable housing. Appropriate solutions that do not do to the building industry what poor planning and lack of vision has done to the automotive industry are what is required . This does not mean that every family will be able to afford to buy a home, but it should mean that they get to benefit from those changes that come from new improvements in the industry.
It may be wise to remember that while nature fills a vacuum that the vacuum shouldn't be between our ears.