IS THE MECHANICAL AND PLUMBING
WORLD HOT, FLAT AND CROWDED?
A WHILE BACK, a young man
named Tim called me. He was contemplating a change of career and
wanted to talk. This surprised me
because he has been a high-level
manager with a company that leases
trucks and construction equipment,
and had been happy with his job.
He is motivated, hard-working and
had recently been promoted.
As we talked, he explained that
he had recently nished omas Friedman’s latest book, Hot,
Flat and Crowded, and that the book had been a powerful
force in his decision to seek a job change. He wanted to put
his personal beliefs on green and sustainability to work in the
emerging arena of what Friedman calls the “energy climate”
era, an era that will de ne our generation by the choices we
make and the strength of our collective will.
Tim knew I had been active in the green movement with
the Mechanical Contractors Association of America, and he
had recently seen our new Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-registered o ces. He did not realize when
he called that I was also profoundly impacted by Friedman’s
book and that I had been encouraging friends and colleagues
to read it, especially mechanical and plumbing contractors.
We agreed to have lunch the following week.
Thomas Friedman is one of my favorite authors and is
also a columnist for e New York Times
in an editorial in the Times titled, “The Greening of Geopolitics,” Friedman put forth his now-famous proclamation
that, “Green is the new red, white and blue.” His book, Hot,
Flat and Crowded, continues the theme that American environmental leadership, coupled with American ideas and
ingenuity in alternative energy, can help America regain its
international stature. By doing so, we will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and “petrol dictators” as well as reduce
the risk of terrorism.
As Friedman notes, “ at is why green is no longer simply
a hobby for high-minded environmentalists or some ‘
personal virtue’ … It is now a national security imperative.”
When my friend Tim started to think about changing
careers, he was driven by a desire for more meaningful work.
is realization was reinforced by Dave Allen from McKinstry
Co. McKinstry is a full-service MCAA mechanical out of
Seattle that President Barrack Obama has visited and publicly praised as the future of green building and technology.
Dave Allen agrees with Friedman and will tell you that,
“ e opportunities available in green building and green,
clean technologies are greater than any time since the
Industrial Revolution.”
Some of the clear opportunities for our industry are in
existing buildings. As I prepared for the talk with Tim, I
pictured him envisioning himself nding an exotic career in
wind generation, solar power, ocean power and the like, but
the fact is that with retro ts and conservation, we can accomplish so very much. e existing buildings in this country and
worldwide are massive consumers of power and water, with
the bulk of the energy being used to heat and cool.
New American technologies can lead the charge in innovation and conservation. e rainwater-harvesting system
at our L.J. Kruse Co.’s LEED-registered facility in Berkeley,
CA, is the talk of the town. We use this water to ush our
toilets and urinals, and irrigate our plants. Out west, we are
plain out of water, and everybody from the water districts to
the municipalities will soon be demanding rainwater harvesting for new and existing buildings. Tim needs to nd a
company that Friedman de nes: “We need companies that
view climate change not as a threat but as an opportunity
– and are pursuing it with the enthusiasm that big opportunities engender.”
What an exciting mandate for our mechanical contracting
industry! Now, we can step up and take the lead as individuals and contractors. We can use this opportunity to grow our
businesses, mitigate a dire global warming scenario and take
on the “petrol dictators.” Most importantly, we have the stature to attract the bright young minds to our industry.
When we had lunch the following week, Tim told me he
had made up his mind to follow his intuition and passion. I
told him about the opportunities in green building, construction, and operations and maintenance. He was energized at
the possibilities and quickly began talking about going back
to school to hone his skills. It is a tough economic climate to
be looking for a new job, but Tim said he was not worried
about that. He said he was doing this for one very compelling
reason – his daughter and her generation.
“We need to rede ne green and rediscover America, and
in so doing rediscover ourselves and what it means to be
Americans,” Friedman wrote. “We are all Pilgrims again. We
have not been to this shore before.”
Dave Kruse is president of L.J. Kruse Co., Berkeley, CA, and
past president of the Mechanical Contractors Association of
America. He is also CONTRACTOR magazine’s most recent
Contractor of the Year. He can be reached at 510/644-0260 or
at dave@ljkruse.com.
