Trowel Talk: Talking About a Revolution
Wow. There were 28,000-plus attendees from 75 different countries that attended GreenBuild Expo 2009 in Phoenix!
As I walked the floor of the GreenBuild Expo and spoke with vendor after vendor about new and innovative ways to build projects that lay down a smaller carbon footprint, I was excited. This whole concept of sustainable construction has evolved from a fringe niche practice by a bunch of ex-hippies in the remote areas of New Mexico to mainstream thinking used around the world. For the construction industry, the Green Movement has brought us:
· Better windows and doors.
· More efficient insulation and better building envelops.
· Better waste water management techniques.
· More utilization of natural light.
· Waterless urinals and water conserving toilets.
· Easily renewable bamboo and cork flooring.
· Smarter landscaping decisions.
· Use of locally manufactured materials.
· Improve interior air quality by reducing volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) from interior finishes.
It’s becoming clear that within the construction business industry, it’s the fastest and strongest growing market. Green related revenue has grown from $2 billion in 2002 to $67 billion so far in 2009, according to a speech given by Al Gore at the event.
Nations like Italy, Germany, Great Britain, New Zealand, Australia, and others have adopted sustainable building standards following the lead of the United States Green Building Council’s LEED certification program.
So, what are you doing to help improve the sustainability of the projects you build? What are you finding that is both energy efficient and practical? In other words, how are you becoming part of the Green Revolution?
