Construction Informer

There is a lot that recommends careful blending of the natural, and the man-made environments. Nowhere is that better illustrated than in the field of landscaping. As we build things from wood, concrete and steel, we alter the landscape in ways that radically change the natural processes – the processes, that more than any human-created processes, are sustainable.

Landscaping in our built-environments helps to retain natural processes within those environments. While you might expect environmental organizations to spend a lot of energy promoting landscaping as a way to mitigate the negatives of building the way we do, you might be surprised at the others who are delivering similar messages.

The generators of electricity are also expounding ways that people can cut down electrical use through smart landscaping. That’s something that almost sounds anti-capitalist. When was the last time you saw a lumber yard offering tips on how to reduce your use of lumber? Do you recall a concrete vendor showing you how to reduce the amount of concrete you use? Yet, the makers of electricity are routinely trying to help people reduce the amounts they use. What’s going on here?

It’s what I call politically-correct PR and it has found a place in today’s marketing tactics. Many builders for example regularly trumpet their “green building” techniques. It’s a way to not only keep the business in the front of the potential customer, but it also helps to define the business, and in effect it suggests the business has values other than simply making a profit. The trick of course is to make sure you have a genuine interest in whatever politically-correct marketing you do, otherwise it’s just more of the same old “we’ll do anything for profits” approach to promotions. And, that, in an increasingly skeptical world, is seen through very quickly.