Green buildings offer a tremendously reduced environmental footprint compared to traditional buildings.
Buildings are one of the heaviest consumers of natural resources and account for a significant portion of global warming causing greenhouse gas emissions.
Buildings are huge consumers of raw materials, they account for 40% of the global raw materials demand or 3 billion tons annually.
US Buildings represent 38.9 percent of primary energy use and account for 38 percent of the country’s CO2 emissions. US Buildings consume 13.6 percent of the nations potable water, or 15 trillion gallons per year.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that at least 136 million tons of building related construction and demolition debris are generated in the US each year.
The alternatives to traditional buildings offer major savings. LEED certified green buildings offer a 30 percent energy saving, 35 percent carbon saving, 30-50 percent water saving and a 50-90 percent waste saving.
When combined with long term cost savings, the significantly reduced enviromental impact makes green building the obvious choice.
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