Green America

In honor of this week’s Green Build conference in Chicago (http://www.greenbuildexpo.org/About/) I thought it would be helpful to list a few green building links you might not normally run across. If you haven’t noticed, “green” building is permeating the design and construction industries to a level few thought possible here in “show me the bottom line” America. The reason for this surge? Green is a better economic model as well as a better environmental model. Government agencies helped lead us to this realization by requiring green principles be included in their own projects. Doing so demystified the process and helped prove the economics. As a result, understanding of green’s real economic benefits are becoming wide spread. Now, corporate America is signing up not only because it is the right thing to do for the planet, but because it is also the right thing to do for the bottom line. Is it easy? No. Does it come without tradeoff? No. Will it reverse global warming and save the planet alone? No. But it is an important step, a right step, and a significant part of the overall solution. Green Up, America!

In the links below you will find guidelines for communities, a list of green General Contractors, narratives on the state of Green America, and much more. It is only a starter list. Enjoy, and contribute your own.

http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/GreenBuilding/

http://www.pprc.org/pubs/greencon/index.cfm

http://www.agc.org/page.ww?section=Green+Construction&name=Green+Construction+Website+Links

http://www.gdrc.org/uem/green-const/toolbox/box-index.html

http://greensource.construction.com/

http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,1607,7-135-3585_4127_24843---,00.html

http://www.emagazine.com/view/?3525

http://www.wbcsd.org/plugins/DocSearch/details.asp?type=DocDet&ObjectId=MjU5MTM

http://greenbuildings.santa-monica.org/index.html