As eco-savvy as the earthquake-prone Left Coast might be, it's probably safe to bet that going green won't be the first thing to come to mind when the Big One hits Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, or San Francisco. Nevertheless, green-building advocates and disaster planners are finding common ground as they try to convince cost-conscious building owners that keeping a building operational after a punishing quake or other disaster makes economic and environmental sense. Developers and architects already earn green-building kudos for outfitting structures with solar panels and ... Read More
Leaky Homes Show Green Intentions Gone Wrong
December 26, 2011 • By • Leave a Comment
Twenty years ago, changes to New Zealand’s construction and building inspection codes, the introduction of new materials, a shift in the style and design of homes, and, ironically, pressure from environmentalists, all combined to sow the seeds of a massive “leaky homes” problem. Two decades after that perfect storm, the debris is now washing up on the shores of a recession-hit housing market, leaving thousands of people trapped in homes that are rotting around them, but which they cannot afford to repair and have no hope of selling. Russell Cooney, past president of the New Zealand ... Read More
LEED Program Reaches a Green Milestone
December 9, 2011 • By • Leave a Comment
A milestone marking how green building is maturing in the United States has been reached: more square feet of existing buildings have been retrofitted to meet LEED standards than the square footage of new construction that’s LEED certified. Ever since the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program was established in 2000 and became the gold standard in green building, it’s been a young structure’s game: new construction is erected to meet LEED standards, but all those drafty old energy hog commercial buildings continued on their inefficient way. Since old buildings vastly ... Read More
Is LEED the Gold Standard in Green?
June 13, 2011 • By • Leave a Comment
It is telling that the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Ky., wants the design of a biblical theme park that will showcase a 500-foot-long replica of Noah’s Ark to qualify for certification by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program, an industry standard for sustainable buildings. Mike Zovath, senior vice president of Answers in Genesis, the “apologetics (i.e., Christianity-defending) ministry” that built the museum, is a climate change skeptic who told The Washington Post that he liked the idea of energy efficiency: “There is a pretty significant return on ... Read More
