ShareThisWho Do You Follow When you LEED? (part 3)
-Reprinted from Construction ink | The Magazine of the Construction Association of South Florida
Gerry Klein | Director of Communications for the Construction Association of South Florida
gklein@casf.org
This post is a continuation of Part 2 – Who Do You Follow When you LEED?
Interesting Gibberish #2
(talk about a sneaky low life)
The high-profile “Clean Coal” advertising campaign was paid for by the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) – a front group for coal companies and utilities. The ads were very vague about how coal could actually be cleaned up and how they promised a futuristic, new technology without actually changing a thing.
Depending on where you live and work (South Florida would be a good place to start considering the target audience demographic of this magazine) the LEED program also has encountered a fair amount of loud, angry criticism regarding the lack of emphasis on regional environmental concerns. Are you one of the citizens of earth who feel that buildings in Florida should be given different consideration than buildings that are constructed in Oregon or Maine? It’s pretty obvious that each region of the country has very distinct environmental challenges as well as unique renewable resources. Most LEED disciples throughout the construction industry simply follow the standard checklist without any consideration whatsoever – you know just like the Bentheimer Landschaf breed of sheep from Germany.
Another juicy criticism related to the LEED program relates to the decision by organizations to mandate LEED. According to the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), “forty-three states, one hundred ninety municipalities, and twelve federal agencies have policies or initiatives that include LEED certification.” Though LEED’s one-size-fits-all approach makes a good business case for some, the standards were never designed to be mandates. Initially, the LEED program was a voluntary program. LEED mandates are likely to raise the costs of housing for consumers and increase the tax burdens of citizens in cities requiring LEED for public projects. LEED building certification is not always necessary to achieve an energy efficient, environmentally sensitive building that meets the needs of the region, its occupants and its owners.
Stay tuned for Part 4 of this 5-Part series…
Editor’s Note:
Gerry Klein is the Director of Communications for the Construction Association of South Florida and has over 23 years of marketing experience. He handles all Marketing, Advertising and Public Relation Services, as well as, individual marketing services for all CASF members. If you would like to arrange a seminar or confidential meeting to help your business grow, Gerry can be reached at gklein@casf.org.
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