Green Buildings: Meh

Via Lydia DePillis, the latest study to indicate that building location is more important than "green" architecture in determining its ecological footprint:

I think that if you extend this to include more factors, you'll see that location looks even more central. My house is more efficient to heat than a suburban house in Loudon County, and it would be even more efficient to heat if we picked it up and moved it to Los Angeles where it's warm. Allowing denser construction near transit nodes, in walkable areas, in downtown-adjacent neighborhoods, and in places with mild weather are the "greenest" things we can do for the built environment.