It’s not quite springtime, but it might as well be. In observance of Daylight Saving Time, most of the U.S. will adjust their clocks forward 1/24th of a day in the wee hours of March 11th. (The three-week premature tweaking is due to a provision in the U.S. Energy Policy Act of 2005 meant to save electricity by introducing an extra hour of 
sunlight during which the public the public can frolic amongst the flora without the aid of flashlights). Next, the northern hemisphere will officially usher in this most verdant of seasons on March 20th, the vernal equinox. The word vernal shares Latin roots with verde, which – if we remember our high school Spanish or Italian – means green. Which leads us to our chief topic…
The sustainable cause is truly springing forward. Green is all the rage, and the forecast is that the trend will last much longer than a season. The proof: The eco-drift is surfacing in more and more mainstream waters, way beyond the familiar architecture and design industry shores. Here’s but a smattering of some of the environmentally friendly items that have across my desk lately:
• There now exists a magazine providing how-tos for eco-savvy “I dos”: Portovert, “the first and only magazine for eco-savvy brides and grooms.” It just might make you want to get married. Again.
• ReadyMade, the “bimonthly print magazine for people who like to make stuff, who see the flicker of invention in everyday objects”, devoted its current issue (No. 27) to all things green, including a glossary.
• And, finally, Springwise.com reported on a very dance-dance-revolutionary idea: a sustainable dance club featuring energy-generating dance floors and walls that change color as heat levels fluctuate. Check out the YouTube video about it here.
So there you go. Green – even the avocado variety – is here to stay.
Laura McDonald, ASID / IIDA
Interior Designer / Founder
laura@plinthandchintz.com
