Green Industries Initiative

I received a letter today as a US Green Building Council (USGBC) member from Rick Fedrizzi the CEO, President and Founding Chair of USGBC.  It was interesting to read his take on what will happen to the green building movement in a world where the financial crisis has stolen the headlines.  Mr. Fedrizzi's position is that it is "greed that led the world economy into crisis."  He takes that position that this greed will not defeat our commitment to good work.  "Fear will not dominate our agenda.  And our commitment to change - even in the face of so great a challenge - will not waver."

Mr. Fedrizzi continues that "Change doesn't wait on Washington. And it doesn't depend on Wall Street. Change comes from within."  The green building movement has been demonstrating that fact for more than 15 years.  Before there was a single government green building policy, before the business community stood up and took notice, before there was a LEED - there was you. Thousands upon thousands of committed individuals dedicated to doing better by doing good.  You've built this movement.  You're building sustainable communities.  And every single one of us has a contribution to make towards pulling our country out of this crisis."

I think that Mr. Fedrizzi's justification can be used to contemplate that more than green building - but green development, clean technology and the associated green jobs  -  will pave the way for a brighter economic future.  "It will save money.  It will save energy.  It will help save our climate.  And directly relevant to today's economic environment, it will create good, green, local jobs."  His example is that USGBC estimates that a 100% commitment to greening existing commercial buildings alone would create more than 1.5 million new opportunities for employment for out of work Americans.

While I think it is oversimplifying social, business and cultural issues to say that greed got us here, I can agree that green can lead us out.  Doing well by doing good is both a sustainable business and sustainable environmental message.  If getting everyone in our business communities to be "greedy" - "greedy" in energy savings, "greedy" in job creation in our state, "greedy" in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, then I say environmental greed is good.