The changing Face(book) of the times…

Even though we generally subscribe to the Marxist theory of groups — that is, Groucho Marx’s maxim that “I wouldn’t belong to any club that would have me as a member,” we started a Facebook page.

You can see it at Green Right Now on Facebook. Or if you prefer, GreenRightNow.

While over there constructing the new site, we noticed Secretary of Energy Steven Chu in the neighborhood. We’re sure this is a comfortable fit for the former Stanford professor, a virtual lectern from which to tutor the masses on energy efficiency and whip up support for alternative power sources.

Today Chu mentioned white roofs, giving legitimacy to an idea that many have no doubt scoffed at. White roofs are gaining acceptance for commercial buildings and are now making inroads with homeowners — in select places. As the New York Times story Chu points to reports, it’s not easy being white. A white roof so radically changes the look of a home that homeowner’s associations are likely to go bonkers. The world just isn’t there yet. (Though many commercial applications are popping up, as we reported in Cool Your Roof With White to Save Money and the Environment.)

Think we’re being cynical? See our story on what happened when an Austin woman tried to put up a nice looking bamboo fence, which was nearly conventional by comparison to changing the roof color from dark to light. Her neighbors were cool with it, but her neighborhood association took a hard line and…well, you can read the story.

We need to get past that sort of thinking. White roofs, clothes lines, bamboo fences, backyard chickens, recycled school binders. These are all legitimate energy savers and we need to get on with it. Let’s be friendly about it. And oh yeah, let’s be friends…on Facebook!

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