The Ground Is Prepared for the Growth of Green
06/18/2008
Like an acorn that grows into a mighty oak, sustainable design is putting down roots in the construction industry and ultimately will be a powerful force for project owners, designers, contractors, product manufacturers and the people who ultimately use the structures. In the end, everyone will benefit.
As the practices, products and standards mature, green construction will move beyond hype and hoopla and become imbedded in the industry. As with many things, it often costs roughly the same to build an ugly structure as a good-looking one or a wasteful energy-guzzling structure as one that is energy-efficient.
There now are dozens of sustainability standards, checklists and guides worldwide. Some take the approach of environmental organizations in promoting greenness in every nook and cranny of a building. Others are more businesslike and lean toward a more holistic view of how a completed building performs in terms of consumption of energy and other resources. The trick will be rationalizing the sometimes competing views to produce a universal standard that is clear, understandable and universally recognized in a manner similar to the Dept. of Energy’s EnergyStar program for efficient appliances.
Our current overall environmental consciousness was not formed gently or gradually. It was jolted into being by a series of forces: revelation, agitation and legislation. Today we are teetering on the edge of legislation requiring sustainable design and construction practices, following the revelation that they make sense and are cost effective and agitation from potential customers for such features. Some localities and cities already are in the legislative phase but a national standard would be more helpful, tailored to local conditions.
The same kind of standard also could address what kinds of products are really green and which are not. The “greenwash” slapped on some products by marketers makes little sense, yet is enough to lure customers that support sustainability. Others are legitimate. Contractors and design firms that used to beat the bushes looking for green products now have plenty of choices.
The world eventually will need standards that everyone can understand centered on energy, water and materials. They also will have to be affordable and repeatable. It may be a difficult mission to settle on the most beneficial requirements, but some groups already believe they are there.
