The green movement is officially going full throttle. I say that with conviction because a story concerning a “green” home graced page 1 of a recent edition of the Belleville (Ill.) News-Democrat, the local conservative community newspaper.

That’s rare, folks.

Let’s just say people of southern Illinois (or Midwesterners, in general) are not necessarily quick to adopt to change. (I don’t mean that in a mean way or derogatory manner, either.) Simply, it takes a lot to change conservative-minded folks. For whatever reason, many around these parts are skeptical from the word go regarding anything new or different.

… But, here was the main story (“Homebuilders Showcase ‘Green’ Home”), taking most of the space on the newspaper’s cover. The featured article came complete with an accompanying large photo. Read the text and you find out that five area contractors are building the green house to educate the public on environmentally friendly building practices. The so-called nearly zero-energy home being built is supposed to provide 1,200 square feet of interior space with a living room, kitchen, et al. The contractors plan to install solar panels on the roof, but they opted for a conventional energy-efficient heating and cooling system instead of solar or geothermal. As it was so noted, the latter seemed like “overkill” for such a small home.

“You’ve got a well-insulated envelope that allows a small heating and cooling system to work well,” Tim Kinsella, owner of Joe Kinsella & Sons, Edwardsville, Ill., informed a reporter for the Belleville News-Democrat.

Maybe so, but it also proves how people in this neck of the woods are hesitant to change – even though a geothermal system may have been even greener in nature and results.

In the end, green may be officially “in,” but it still has a long way to go. What are you seeing in your back yard?