Examining whether LEED 'succeeds' in terms of promoting environmental awareness to the public - Essay Example

?Examining whether LEED 'succeeds' in terms of promoting environmental awareness to the public  Introduction      The importance of sustainable development has gained considerable momentum in the last couple of decades. The main concern for sustainable development centers on the rampant destruction of the environment and the natural resources. The non-committal pursuit of economic growth by the countries and the immense poverty in many regions has caused extensive environmental degeneration. This has given rise to the need for immediate understanding and implementation of the sustainable development processes. The increase in the human needs and the simultaneous increase in the production capacities of the countries with the help of the scarce natural resources without any concern for the productive capacity of the future have aggravated the situation. Sustainability is a vast concept that encompasses a lot of dimensions. On one hand it requires proper utilization of resources without damaging the natural reserves. On the other hand it involves improvement of the products and services available to the people. Sustainable development addresses both environmental as well as the social issues since they are interdependent of each other. Successful implementation of sustainable modes of development requires the alleviation of poverty and inequality. This dependence of the environmental issues on society and economy is a crucial feature of sustainable development. Therefore, long-term participation and cooperation from everyone for the mutual benefit of each other is the ultimate goal of sustainable development. However the process of sustainable development is a time consuming one, involving large scale changes from the current practices. Therefore there is a possibility of all the current attempts at future development having a weakness or two. Correction of these weaknesses and continuing the process will gradually develop better models and practices for sustainable development (Partridge; Kemp & Parto). The paper attempts to explore the extensive role of Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) in promoting sustainable development with respect to architecture.  Green Buildings and Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) The LEED is a building rating system designed by the United States Green Building Council or the USGBC. The USGBC is a nonprofit organization. They work towards encouraging the public to adopt sustainable building practices. LEED certification has a number of purposes. Their foremost purpose is to provide a guideline in designing buildings that are more sustainable in their operation. As the name suggests, they try to identify and give recognition to the leaders who are adopting the changes towards the new paradigms of construction enterprise, aiming at a more environment conscious society. The Council intends to raise awareness among the people for green buildings, provide guidelines to highlight the latest industry practices and develop the markets for green buildings. The certificate intends to develop a competitive market for green buildings in the industry. In this way change the nature of the construction market. The certificate has been developed as a brand that is recognized and trusted by the customers. Their demand for this certificate for building homes and offices will ultimately shape the market demand. As the customers become more and more aware of the ‘green’ brand, the problem of addressing the issue of sustainable development will be achieved (“Green Building Grant Program & Promotion of LEED Certified Building in the City of El Paso”) The main points of emphasis of the LEED certificates are the sustainability of the sites, efficient utilization of water, energy consumption, and maintenance of the atmosphere. They also encourage the use of sustainable natural resources. A significant emphasis is given on the process of innovation and design (“Green Building Grant Program & Promotion of LEED Certified Building in the City of El Paso”).       The USGBC is an autonomous non-profit organization that has shown significant commitments in promoting such practice by constructing, developing, and promoting the Leader in Energy and Environment Design Green Building Rating System. They have devoted considerable efforts to educate and train the public in adopting these healthy living practices. This nonprofit organization has a number of members from all strata of the construction industries and elsewhere. Their members include architects and owner, contractors and developers and also manufacturers and public groups. There have been various other initiatives in establishing other ratings for the measurement and evaluation of green buildings. However LEED has been the most popular rating system among them. This system has been adopted universally and uniformly in private as well as public projects and have achieved significantly in the past few years. The United States government has encouraged the adoption of this practice in several projects including the General Services Administration, the Environment Protection Agency etc. The government armed forces like the Navy, Air Forces and the Army have also maintained the Leadership in Energy and Environment Design standards in their projects. Apart from this, many corporate enterprises, educational institutions, and houses have opted for the LEED certification. The growth of the popularity of LEED has been immense and the demand for the certificate has often led to the delay of projects. From 2009, in compliance with the procedures of ISO the responsibility for the certification of LEED was given to the Green Building Certification Institute (Leppo, 2).     Since, sustainable development is a holistic process and it has several dimensions, therefore apart from environmental concern it promotes social sustainability. The idea of social sustainability proposes that all developments should be equitable for the society, should not deplete the future resources, and need to promote the welfare of the society. The importance of sustainable development has been acknowledged by all quarters of the society including the government. Therefore several different measures are being taken to reduce the environmental impacts of different actions and projects. In this regards diverse measures are being taken, all contributing toward the single goal of sustainable development (Partridge). Some of these efforts involve reducing the emissions and cutting the consumption of the scarce natural resources. The buildings are responsible for the consumption of large amount of resources and emitting a lot of pollutants. In the United States, the buildings consume 70% of the electricity produced in the country, accounts for 40% of the raw materials demanded and 12% of the potable water consumed. The conventional buildings also consume 39% of all the energy demanded by the country. In terms of pollutants the building account for a significant proportion. 39% of all the carbon dioxide emitted and 30% of the waste output come from the buildings. The waste output from the buildings of the United States is around 136 million tons per year (“Green Building Grant Program & Promotion of LEED Certified Building in the City of El Paso”). The Californian government had understood the need for energy and water efficiency. On September 30, 2008 the Californian government through the AB 1389 made the state’s buildings to have better standards for energy and efficiency management (“Public Policies Adopting or Referencing LEED”). The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provided funding for school to create a greener environment. (Haynes and Warner) Such moves will develop a green infrastructure for the schools and give the children a healthier and greener environment. Moreover it will also help the children learn about the issue of sustainable development and generate interest towards the different measures required to ensure a sustainable development. Through raising the concern for the future generations, LEED will be able to make an impact.       In the green buildings the use of available natural resources are encouraged. This helps the residents save the use of scarce natural resources as much as possible. In this way it also makes them committed to the cause of social sustainability. As the public becomes more and more aware of the problem of sustainable development, a more caring and concerned community that is responsible for the utilization of resources and its future impact can be created. Maximum use of sunlight saves the consumption of electricity for lighting to an extent. Similarly innovative use of raw materials coupled with improved planning, help in the maximum conservation of heat. In this way several measures reduce the daily cost of operation. The value of asset of the green buildings is higher than the conventional buildings because of the facilities they provide. Therefore they provide a better place for investment. The raw materials used also have the optimum life cycle. Moreover the little amount of toxicity in the raw materials of the conventional buildings affects the health of the residents. The green buildings have a huge impact on the residing environment. The thermal and acoustic environment is much better than the traditional buildings. Therefore the green buildings are more comfortable. The natural environment also has a positive impact on the health of the occupants. Therefore it provides definite benefits to the employees of an office in a green building. There are many organizations that provide a rating and guidelines for constructing green buildings. One of the most popular of such organizations in United States is the United States Green Building Council and their certificate called LEED. The organization has successfully established a third party rating system that provides the people with a guideline to construct green buildings. In this way it has also helped the people to be more concerned about their future (“Green Building Grant Program & Promotion of LEED Certified Building in the City of El Paso”).      With the course of time the popularity gained by the LEED system of rating green building has been immense. However there are also a number of criticisms against this system. People have pointed out a number of shortfalls of the system. The points raised are diverse ranging from the high cost that must be incurred to obtain a LEED certification that often deters peoples and organization or the certificate fails to emphasize adequately the energy efficiency of the buildings. Some of the points of grievances from the people include the time required to obtain the LEED certification. There are other major shortfalls like tracking the buildings and their practices after they have been occupied (Howe, Gerard, & Frederick 23). However in spite of all the weaknesses, the certificate has managed to educate a section of the society about the environmental problems and helped them to make their contribution towards the cause. The Rating System      The Leadership in Energy and Environment Design rating system is a point system. For each addition of sustainability component in the construction, the building earns a credit point. In this way the total number of points is calculated for a building. On the basis of these points different types of certificates are obtained. There are in total 100 point to be earned. A building earns a certificate if their credit lies between 40 to 49 points. If the credit point lie between 50 to 59 points the building earns a silver certificate. A gold certificate is earned when the credit points lie between 60 to 79 points. For 80 point and above the buildings are highly rated and the certificate obtained is a platinum certificate. There are certain additions that are prerequisites for a building and these are compulsory. No credit points are earned for them. For the rest credit points of different values are earned based on their impact on the environment (“LEED 2009 for New Constructions and Major Renovations”). LEED and Awareness among Public for Sustainable Development            One of the major goals of USGBC is the creation of market for green buildings by raising the awareness of the public. Apart from helping the industry with guidelines it also intends to educate the public about the need for sustainable development and measures they can adopt in their daily life. A significant case that can be cited is that LEED awards a credit point for provisions made for cyclists in the buildings. The bicycle racks and the changing rooms for cyclists promote the use of eco-friendly modes of transportation and reduce their carbon footprint in their daily life. It also raises awareness about critical environmental issues like scarcity of oil, pollution, and climate change. Therefore green buildings also contribute to the issue of social sustainability (“LEED 2009 for New Constructions and Major Renovations”).  According to Roosa the green buildings promote the issues and measures for sustainable development to the different sections of the society. The buildings also raise the awareness of the neighborhood. A green building in the neighborhood can make the other residents more curious about the problem of environmental degradation and in this way make them aware about the issue (Roosa 146-47). For example highly efficient windows or solar power can be spotted when someone visits or passes by a green building. This may make them more curious about the practices and in turn they may adopt some of these changes in their own building even if they do not adopt all the changes necessary to apply for the certificate. However according to Ling, a lot of engineering features are hidden from the public eye and the public cannot easily perceive them. For example, measures for rainwater harvesting, airflow system below the floor etc are not directly visible. Therefore for the people who have not been initiated to the features of a green building, these changes will be difficult to adopt. Hence more efforts are needed to publicize the certificate and create awareness about green buildings. A study conducted by the Pike research showed that among the people below 30 there is low education about LEED. Only 23% confirmed that they were familiar with LEED. Awareness about LEED among the Different Age Groups                (Source: Pike Research) According to Partridge, the young people are ‘social agents’ and their involvement is necessary partly because they will finally have to deal with the problems of sustainable development. Moreover their early education and initiation will ensure a better and long term commitment towards the cause. The research by the agency also exhibited that more knowledge about LEED increased the popularity of the certificate. Therefore it is evident that the people are aware of the problem of sustainable development. But these people have little knowledge about the urgency of the problem or the steps they can take to prevent the problem. Therefore LEED has a high scope for creating awareness among the public. The UGSBC is aware of the importance of raising awareness of the people and they have set targets to get more people to opt for the certification (Partridge; Roosa, 146-147; Davis). In United States many citizens are aware of the problem of climate change. However they are unaware of the urgency of the problem and immediate need to address the problem. There is a perception that climate change is an important issue but it has a lower priority than the other issues. The promotion of LEED can develop the consciousness of the people regarding sustainable development. The green buildings can help the people of the neighborhood to observe and learn about the immediate need to address the environmental issues. To make the people aware of the problems of sustainable development a comprehensive awareness policy should be framed. To make maximum impact on the people there should be some features incorporated into the policy. One way to grab the attention of the people regarding the problems of scarce resource and environmental degradation is to address the regional issues. A water shortage policy in Arizona will make the people more conscious about saving water rather than in Miami. This kind of policy easily appeals to the people regarding the problem of sustainable development and they will be keener to adopt some eco-friendly practices in their own lifestyle. Initially LEED had little provisions to address the regional issues. However amendments in the guidelines have been made. For example a water conservation project in a building in Arizona was considered equivalent to the water conservation project in Maine in the initial days. However in Arizona water is scarcer and therefore the project is more significant there (Howe, Gerard and Frederick, 23). The changes that are made to address the local environmental problems or take care of the regional social issues are given higher credit (Shome and Marx). About LEED Committee       The USGBC has managed to bring different sections of the construction industry together to chart a path towards the sustainable development of buildings. They have encouraged participation of individuals and organizations interested in the process. The system of LEED rating has been established and expanded over the years through the contribution of a number of volunteers who represented the different sections of the industry. The LEED has been governed by a number of committees. It is headed by the LEED Steering Committee and under them there are different other committees responsible for looking after the different functions of LEED. Forming the policy is based on a consensus based decision-making process. The decision-making policy of the USGBC can be termed as the Multi Criteria Analysis Conference. It studies the alternative criterion for sustainable development and gives a guideline for achieving sustainability in the construction business. It also helps to rank the different alternatives through the credit points achieved for each measure adopted (Hartz-Karp). The policies are formed through participation from all sections of the society. In this way LEED has managed to involve the citizens voluntarily for the cause of sustainable development. Moreover it can be expected that the representation of the individual sections has given the Council an idea about the rational models for each of these sections and their perception about the problem of sustainable development. Therefore it can be expected that this will have a positive impact on framing the policies and help them to spread the message to the different sections (Shome and Marx). Conclusion      The LEED certificates are voluntary certificates. They provide a guideline for green buildings. The different measures are easily available for anyone’s knowledge. A builder can adopt any number of changes and every step taken is a progress towards sustainable development. In this regard LEED provides a very helpful platform for raising consciousness and making the public and the industry aware of the cause and the steps they could take. It has successfully helped in developing the market for green buildings and created a huge demand for this. It has also generated employment for LEED professionals. Moreover, the organizations working in the process of evaluation and application for the credits help in spreading the issues of sustainable development. They help the companies understand the need to save their money as well as promote themselves, as ecologically concerned company. Organizations like Helios Resources, Solutions for LEED Lights promote the concept green building and the underlying issues of green building. However the credit system has received their share of controversies and many people have pointed out the weaknesses of the system. They have also set lofty aims for them to be achieved. In 2010 they wanted to have one million commercial and institutions with the certificate. There will also be one million homes with the certificate. That would lead to a 200 times rise in the number of green offices and 100 times rise in the number of green homes compared to 2006 (Howe, Gerard, and Frederick, 24; Yudelson, and Fredrizzi 5; Shome and Marx). As more and more green buildings come up in the neighborhood and the workplaces, the environmental consciousness of the people will increase. This will help to percolate the same to the other sections. The growth of demand for green buildings have remained steady even during the recession period has been comparatively steady. The contractors have reported that they are facing this demand even in their backlog projects. The proportion of green buildings in the construction projects is expected to increase over the years. People have become more eager to achieve energy efficiency and modernized buildings. Even in 2008, the contractors felt that green buildings are a trend that will soon die down. The extra cost of making these buildings will soon make the customers opt for the traditional buildings. However as the customer’ queries and eagerness for buildings rose, the contractors had to educate themselves to keep themselves abreast with the latest technologies. Moreover the government projects required the certification of the green projects. Therefore the contractors had to become more aware about the sustainable development practices to bid for the public projects. This also helped to spread the message of sustainable development (Hayes and Warner). However the certificate needs to promote them more in order to generate consciousness among the public about sustainable development.      Bibliography 1. “About Committee”, USGBC. Web. May 25, 2011, from: 2. 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