Publisher's Note--It's Not Easy Being Green

About this time last year, we learned Kermit the Frog is right. “It’s not easy being green.”

As soon as last year’s “Green” issue hit the streets, we heard from folks who thought it wasn’t “green enough” or quibbled over esoteric definitions of what it really meant to be green.

There wasn’t enough focus on LEED certification or there was too much focus on LEED. The word recycling wasn’t used enough or shouldn’t be used at all because that’s putting the green narrative in too narrow a box. And what about sustainability?

Excited by the debate, we both stuck by our original issue AND manned up to do it all over again. If you’re a long-time reader, you know our bedrock editorial philosophy is to show (not tell). In this case, we wanted to show how parks and recreation agencies are interpreting “green” in their own communities. And, as always, we wanted them to do so in their own words.

The result is nothing less than stunning.

The issue you’re about to enjoy is chock full of stories showing how all of you are contributing to the silent megatrend that is sustainability and, more important, are delivering on the so-called triple bottom line of People, Profits, and Planet.

Now, if you do a keyword search in the tablet or phone edition of this issue, you’re still not going to see a lot of references to LEED, recycling or even green. And if any of those things are singular to your particular definition of sustainability or green, you’re going to be disappointed. But, if you’re looking for real-world examples of projects and ideas that are both executable and effective, then you’re going to be very happy.

Either result is fine with us. Like Kermit the Frog—who wasn’t really talking about green initiatives back in 1970—we’ve become comfortable in our skin. We’re interested to see if you think building a park out of recycled shipping containers or creating a bike center complete with showers, lockers and rentals contributes to or detracts from the silent megatrend that is sustainability.

Let the emails begin!

Sincerely,

Rodney J. Auth

Publisher