Treehugger brings Da Funny, with a post entitled What Can This 300 Year Old French Fortress Tell Us About Green Architecture?
These days it seems that every new building is being billed as green: LEED certifications and new technologies that limit the environmental impact of lighting, water use, heating and air conditioning abound. But on a trip last weekend to Besançon, in eastern France, I visited a building that isn’t LEED certified or equipped with any fancy technology, but that nonetheless showcases important principles of green architecture. The building: the Citadel of Besançon. The architect: Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban. The client: King Louis XIV of France.
So, what can it tell us? Well, that they didn’t have flush toilets, central AC and heat, sinks, usable plumbing. Of course, they are made to last, but, we’ll ignore that whole “clear cutting large tracts of land” thing, um kay? Here’s the kicker
Of course, there are points that make the Citadel not-so-green. It was an incredibly expensive and large structure whose purpose was to wage war and extend the domination of Louis XIV. But despite that, and despite its lack of a LEED certification and 21st century technology, the Citadel today reminds us that green design is ultimately about smart design that stands the test of time.
Seems as if they are mixing their liberal fantasies up, eh? So, when ELF is getting violent, apparently that is not green. I’d think the greenie weenie climate alarmists would welcome war, since war reduces the Earth’s population, something the eco-nuts think is ggggggreat! Furthermore, if we want to talk expensive, how about all those new hybrids and electric cars? The Chevy Volt will be about $41,000 for a micro-mobile. And the Ground Zero mosque will be big, and not made to last. Yet, the eco-wackos support the mosque, sorry, “cultural center”.
But, hey, they really do want us to live like it is 1599.
