Bill would color buildings green

[irishbobcat]

Bill would color buildings green
 

  Mar 24, 2009
The Indianapolis Star
   
Dana Hunsinger

Mar. 24, 2009 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- Is green the best color for an office building?

Officials around Indiana soon might find out.

A bill that would mandate green design and construction of state-owned buildings like schools and government centers is making its way through the Legislature, taking the concept further than it has ever gone with Indiana lawmakers.

House Bill 1620 would require new construction and renovation of existing state buildings, state universities, cities and towns to use environmentally green standards, beginning July 1.

It would require more natural lighting, energy efficiency, water savings and indoor environmental quality.

Buildings that cost less than $2 million to construct and certain small towns likely would be exempt.

The architectural industry and environmentalists are praising the bill. But some building associations and manufacturers are criticizing it, saying the mandates would raise project costs.

The bill's author, Rep. Matt Pierce, D-Bloomington, said environmentally friendly buildings not only save taxpayers money in energy efficiency but also have positive side effects.

"Studies show employees in (these) buildings have higher productivity -- the natural lighting, it helps," he said. "And children in these schools perform better on tests. This will save property taxpayers over the life of the building in so many ways."

The bill passed the House with a 58-39 vote. A Senate vote is expected to be taken in a couple of weeks.

The American Institute of Architects in Indianapolis could not cite any specific examples of state buildings that have been built using these standards.

Advocates say most people believe pollution from cars and factories is the leading cause of global warming. But in reality, buildings such as office towers, shopping centers and colleges account for nearly 40 percent of all energy consumed and for nearly half of all greenhouse gas emissions, according to the AIA.

This is far more than transportation (27 percent) and industry (25 percent). And buildings account for 76 percent of all electricity generated at power plants.

"Most modern societies have moved from living with nature to simply living," said Sanford Garner, a founder of A2SO4, an Indianapolis architecture firm. He has been on board to lobby lawmakers to pass the bill.

"Green design should not be a movement, but simply what we do," he said.

Critics, however, say there should not be mandates on buildings, especially because of the higher costs of constructing a green-friendly project.

"We are opposed to any mandate on green building," said Rick Wajda, chief executive of the Indiana Builders Association. "We believe the market can determine that rather than a costly mandate on consumers and taxpayers."

Garner disagreed.

"The argument that green buildings innately cost more is not necessarily true," he said, adding that there are numerous examples where green buildings cost less to build than what they were estimated to cost under traditional construction methods.

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New Green Buildings would be the start of a new manufacturing base here in America!



Dennis Spisak

Mahoning Vallley Green Party

Ohio Green Party



WWW.ohiogreens.org





www.votespisak.org/thinkgreen/