Ideal Bite

Feel like some green-building lingo is alien-speak?

Submitted by tmeronek on Mon, 03/24/2008 - 1:13am.

The Bite:

Come back down to Earth. You might've seen the acronym LEED around - it stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and it's the most widely accepted stamp of approval to certify that a building's green. Plant your non-UFO vehicle down right here for the full translation.

The Benefits:

A universal yardstick. LEED provides standards to look for when building or buying an apartment or house, helping us determine what's really green.
Black-holing pollution. Buildings account for more than 40% of CO2 emissions worldwide. (Yeah, that's more than the 35% that car emissions create.) LEED buildings - which take into account the site, water, energy, resources, and indoor environmental quality - reduce CO2 by 30%-40%.
Galaxy-sized payoffs. According to a study conducted by the CA Sustainable Building Task Force, green buildings typically cost 2% more initially, but you'll recoup 20% of building costs over 20 years, thanks to lower utility bills.

Personally Speaking:

Fewer than 1,000 homes have been LEED-certified so far (and none of us live in any of 'em), but it's definitely something we'll look for when we're in the market for a new place.

Wanna Try:

U.S. Green Building Council - LEED's parent org; learn more about the rating system and how to get your new house certified. Its Green Home Guide helps you make your current home greener.
Green Building Certification Institute - green building's a growing field; start here if certifying homes sounds like a space-tacular career.

Cara Godwin