With oil prices what they are and a collective sense that the planet's climate is going to hell in a hand basket, you'd think going green would be a no-brainer, but it's not. Skeptics abound, and even eco-conscious thought leaders — architects, designers, scientists and the rare politician — don't always agree on sustainability's best practices. Now an exhibit at the Tampa Museum of Art, It's Not Easy Being Green, takes a look at green ideas in the context of urban design, architecture, environmentally friendly furniture, commercial products and fine art. Is Tampa Bay ready for prefab housing and communities designed around mass transit? How about a museum of contemporary art linked to an historic water pump building? Let's hope some of these ideas make it off the walls and onto the streets. On display July 11-Sept. 28, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tues.-Sat., Tampa Museum of Art, 2306 N. Howard Ave., Tampa, free admission, 813-274-8130, tampamuseum.com.
This article appears in Jul 9-15, 2008.