Green Building Trends (Part 1)
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Green Building – a broad term used to describe the construction and design of environmentally conscious and sustainable buildings. The driving force behind this trend is to make the buildings that we work and live in healthier and safer for us. At the same time, we also want to lower the negative impact that buildings bring to our environment.
According to USGBC (United States Green Building Council) statistics, buildings are responsible for the following:
• Water consumption – 15 trillion gallons
• Electricity consumption – 70% of U.S. total consumption
• (CO2) Carbon Dioxide Emissions – 39% of U.S. emissions
With our shrinking landfills, aging electrical and water infrastructure, and population expansion, constructing and designing sustainable and green buildings make practical sense.