A Real Eco-Friendly House Avoids Meaningless 'Environmental Bling'

Do you live in a "slow house"? John Brown, founder of the Slow Home Movement (complementing the fast-moving Slow Food Movement), says there's a lot of greenwashing claims made for "eco-homes" that in reality are neither well-made, nor optimized for efficiency. They may be trying to be "slow," but in reality, they're fast.

"Environmental bling," he told the Miami Herald, includes "low-flow toilets, solar panels and bamboo flooring" -- not that there's anything wrong with these things, but they're add-ons that can disguise a home's environmental compromises.