My study break snack in college was a Snickers bar and a can of TaB from the vending machine in my dorm. I figured if I were going to indulge in the candy, I should at least mitigate the damage with a diet soda. Well, this is pretty much the same approach architects who design large houses are taking with sustainable design. They aren't forgoing the big-house commissions; instead, they're trying to soften the blow by paying attention to passive and active energy conservation and by specifying materials that originate from sustainable, recycled, or salvaged sources. Alas, eco-purists have argued this is green-washing—and that's when they're being polite.
