Big Green: green building racket

[Ralph Bicknese]

Wanted to let you know that Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO of the US Green
Building Council has responded to the "www.junkscience.com" commentary that
called USGBC's LEED program a "green building racket”, and the October issue
of Fast Company entitled “The Trouble with LEED.” 

 

Following is Rick’s letter to Fast Company, forwarded with permission:

Letter to the Editor, Fast Company

Dear Editor: 

Your article on LEED in Fast Company’s October 2007 issue asserts that the
point of LEED is getting lost, but then misses the point itself. The U.S.
Green Building Council’s mission is market transformation towards the vision
of a sustainable – and eventually restorative – built environment within a
generation. LEED is our most important tool in that effort. Its intent is to
set the bar high, challenge leaders to reach for it, and transform the whole
of the building community through leadership by example. That has begun to
happen, but 9 out of 10 buildings in design and construction today are still
the same old energy hogs – they’re unhealthy, put millions of tons of trash
into landfills, and are literally flushing clean drinkable water down the
toilet. Moreover, 90% of all buildings are already in operation – and
they’ll require energy retrofits and other improvements to beat the clock of
climate change. 

It’s important to ask “are we doing enough:” the dynamic tension between
“how far” and “how fast” drives the constant evolution of LEED. But your
assertions about LEED’s “newfound power” are naïve. USGBC, through LEED, is
affecting about one-tenth of all new commercial construction and has just
begun working with existing buildings and homes. Green building is building
momentum, but the work of transforming the market is far from done. When
every child attends a green school, every home is healthy, and our buildings
help to power our cities with clean energy instead of consuming it – maybe
then the work will be done.

Rick Fedrizzi
President, CEO, and Founding Chair
U.S. Green Building Council  

Cheers,

Ralph

 

Ralph Bicknese, AIA, LEED AP

Principal

hellmuth + bicknese architects

7211 manchester rd.

st. louis, mo 63143-2402

t:  314.531.9901

f:  314.531.9902

c: 314.265.0517

 <mailto:rbicknese at hellmuth-bicknese.com> rbicknese at hellmuth-bicknese.com

 <http://www.hellmuth-bicknese.com> www.hellmuth-bicknese.com

 

h+b is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council and American Institute of
Architects

 

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