Almost Green

Author: James Glave (Greystone Books, 2008)

A lot of us are trying to be more environmentally friendly in our choices whether it’s the products we buy or how we travel. As most people come to realize, making the ‘green’ choice may make us feel good in the long run, but it is not often easy or inexpensive.

James Glave discovered this first-hand as his attempts to be ‘green’ in his building of a shed on his Bowen Island property turned into more headaches, frustrations and compromises than he could have expected at the outset. Although the average consumer’s green choice comes down to deciding whether or not to take transit instead of driving, or buying local produce instead of out-of-season fruit from all corners of the globe, Glave took on a much more difficult task.

The idea - to build a studio/in-law suite as environmentally friendly as possible - sounds easy enough. Maybe it means some good insulation, some reclaimed material and there you have it - a guilt-free eco-shed. Unfortunately, Glave quickly discovered that making green choices were easier said than done and definitely much more expensive and time-consuming.

This true-life account reads like an interesting novel with a great cast of characters, most notably Glave’s father-in-law, who thinks global warming is a load of mumbo-jumbo. Although the story of building an eco-shed may seem like dry reading, Almost Green is more than just a tale of making eco-friendly building choices. Throughout the story Glave injects a lot of humour and as a reader it is very easy to relate to his struggle. Some of the more interesting parts of the story are the sub-plots; Glave is also trying to desperately get rid of his Lexus SUV (a gift from his in-laws) to replace it with a more fuel-efficient ride. He also becomes a bit of a community activist and tries to inspire his neighbours to take on a greener life.

The roadblocks that come up along the way (and there were many), the mistakes and the concessions made all make for a great read and it is easy to get caught up in Glave’s story and feel his frustrations and appreciate the tough moral dilemnas that seem to pop up at every turn.

One thing that was commendable about the book can be found in the title - this is about someone who is ‘Almost‘ green. This is not about an eco-warrior or someone who has sacrificed so much that the average reader would get nothing out of it except possibly a heap of guilt for his or her own inactivity. Glave is a person that most of us can probably relate to and sympathize with in his struggle to save his small corner of the globe from more pollutants, toxins and wasted energy. Although it is easy to argue that this book does not go far enough in tackling the environmental crisis our planet is facing, his passion for making a difference is commendable and, if nothing else, is an entertaining and enlightening read.

One thing that was definitely lacking was pictures of the eco-shed itself. It would have been very interesting to have pictures of the project as it went along. However, pictures can be seen online here - and at the same time you can rent a night or two in the eco-shed. This was a surprise to me that I did not expect until I did some online browsing after reading Almost Green. I can understand the need to make some money off of this ridiculously expensive undertaking, but in my mind it taints the story a bit that this is not serving it’s original purpose of being a writing studio and in-law suite. If Glave is just as happy to rent it out for anyone willing to pay the $150 a night, then it almost seems like the space wasn’t all that necessary after all and the most environmentally sensible thing to do was to not build the shed at all.

I don’t know when the decision to turn it into a mini-cottage was made, and I can only assume (based on the book) that the decision was taken reluctantly and only because of the expense to build the shed went way, way over budget and some of those costs need to be recouped. I guess this is an ongoing story, and more of it can be read about at Glave’s blog. Perhaps future editions of the book will contain an epilogue to describe what transpired in the past few months since the shed was completed.

Whatever the reason to change the original purpose of the shed, the story of it’s construction and the people who come in and out of the unfolding drama is an interesting read and Glave’s plight is presented in a very entertaining format that’s tough to put down.

By Leszek Apouchtine

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Leszek Apouchtine is one of the founding editors at re:place. His day job is in the print industry and he also works as a freelance writer.