hat does a Green Economy look like in 2009?
Many believe that today’s green economy will have a two-fold meaning. First, “green” refers to the dollars that will be injected into the economy by our government as an economic stimulus. Secondly, “green” refers to the practice of increasing the efficiency with which buildings use resources, thus reducing the impact on our environment.
Fiscal Green
The need of financially greening our economy is probably first and foremost on everyone’s mind these days, with the number of unemployed and underemployed citizens on a record-breaking increase. No one knows for sure what President Obama has in mind for this months’ anticipated $500+ billion economic stimulus package, but it is expected that much of that money will be directed to the construction or reconstruction of our country’s infrastructure and, at the same time, towards the greening of our municipal buildings.
According to the Chairman of House Transportation and Infrastructure, Mr. James Oberstar of Minnesota, the construction portion of the economic stimulus is broken down as follows:
- $40 billion for highway and transit construction
- $32 billion for energy grid construction
- $31 billion for federal government construction projects
- $10 billion for science laboratory construction
- $6 billion for rural internet access construction
Even better for those of us in the construction field, to make this stimulus package effective the projects have to start right away and create many jobs right away.
Environmental Green
Improving the energy efficiency of existing buildings, especially federally-owned buildings, has been at the top of President Obama’s green proposals. The president has said he wants all new federal buildings to be carbon-neutral by 2025 and the existing buildings to be made more efficient as well.
Along those lines, the United States has established several sustainable design organizations and programs. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), of which Brookstone Builders, Inc. is a member, is one of those organizations.
USGBC (www.usgbc.org) is a non-profit trade organization that promotes sustainability in how building are designed, built and operated. They developed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system , one of their most well-known accomplishments; they also compile useful statistics and data about the effects of various building practices on the economy.
For example, USGBC issued the following statistics that shows the built environment has a profound impact on our natural environment, economy, health and productivity. In the United States alone, building account for:
- 72% of electricity consumption
- 39% of energy use
- 38% of all carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions
- 40% of raw materials used
- 30% of waste output (136million tons annually)
- 14% of potable water consumption
So how do we make existing buildings more efficient? Here are 5 simple examples:
- Replace heating and cooling systems with more efficient programmable systems that do not use refrigerants containing chemicals detrimental to ozone levels.
- Roof enhancements are an often over-looked area of opportunity for “greening.” Roofs can capture rainwater, for example, which can then be stored underground for irrigation. In addition, the installation of a new roof using materials that reflect the sun’s heat can lower cooling costs.
- Replacing existing windows with more energy-efficient features
- Replacing lighting fixtures with more energy efficient products
- Plan in advance. Whether a business is contemplating new construction, expansion or remodeling, it is important to begin thinking “green construction” during the design phase. While it is not too late to start green construction after site work begins, incorporating environmentally conscious techniques into the plan during design and preconstruction is more efficient and cost effective.
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