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Going Green
THE NEV 25 ' ANNIVERSARY PRODUCTION
, or - -
Environmental building development
goes mainstream.
R
to see and hear the latest information
ecently, the U.S. Green
Building Council (usgbc.org )
on green building.
Greenbuild 2010 seemed to have
announced that more than
accomplished its objectives with a
1 billion square feet of green build-
sprawling 200,000-square-foot expo
ing projects had been LEED-certified
hall featuring 1,800 exhibi-
under the third-party rating
tors, educational and speak-
system. In a good economy,
er sessions, green building
that may raise an eyebrow
tours and over a week of
or two, but certainly in the
activities.
stagnant economy experi-
New this year was a
enced in the United States
Green Jobs Summit with 35
and most other developed
companies, including Bank
countries, that is quite an
of America, CB Richard
achievement in such a short
Ellis, Turner Construction
period of time.
and Underwriters
The USGBC was formed
Robert
Laboratories Inc. They were
in the mid-1990s and only
Mattler
there to speak with interest-
has had a sustainable build-
Special to the
ed prospects and otherwise
ing rating system in place
Jewish News
fill positions in the growing
over the last decade.
green economy.
Since it was first intro-
With a prediction of green jobs sup-
duced to the marketplace in 2000,
thousands of commercial projects and porting and creating millions of jobs
over the next four years, that makes
single-family homes have participated
the green economy one of the fast-
in obtaining a LEED (Leadership in
est growing sectors in the entire U.S.
Energy and Environmental Design)
designation. Since 2007, with the
economy.
USGBC's adoption of stricter energy
Michigan's Embrace
standard prerequisites, LEED-certified
buildings consume less energy, which
There has been small, but steady
growth in the Michigan green build-
results in lower energy costs for fami-
ing economy. While the Grand Rapids
lies, businesses and taxpayers.
metro area leads the state with the
These structures also reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and con-
largest number of LEED-certified
buildings, Metro Detroit is home to
tribute to healthier environments
more and more of these certified
for residents, workers and the com-
munity. In a recent report, McGraw
buildings.
Even in one of the most difficult
Hill Construction noted that the green
building industry has grown by 50
local economies in the country, LEED-
percent in the last two years, despite a
certified buildings have multiplied; the
crippling recession that has prevented
momentum will only accelerate as our
economy continues to recover from its
the growth of or negatively impacted
many other industries.
darkest period in almost a century.
Public schools have been in the fore-
That same report projected the
green building industry will contribute front of this movement as the Detroit
$554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic
School of Arts building was the first
local LEED-certified school building
product and create or save 7.9 mil-
lion American jobs between 2009 and
back in 2006.
Institutions of higher learning have
2013.
embraced this "green wave" of energy
Generation Green
efficiency, water conservation, re-use
Last November, the annual Greenbuild of material resources and innovation
International Conference and Expo
in design. Even religious institu-
tions such as Temple Kol Ami in West
was held at McCormick Center in
Chicago, with more than 28,000 people Bloomfield and the IHM Motherhouse
in Monroe have seen the importance
in attendance. Attendees from a vari-
ety of building and business back-
of striving for this designation.
grounds and from 110 countries came
Municipalities, eager to reduce
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Going Green on page 30
February 17 • 2011
29