Page 015 - stewardship of resources.
Source section: Section 1 - Introduction to Green Buildings and Communities PDF page: 15 Guide page: 8 OCR quality: high (313 words)
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as energy savings, water efficiency, CO, emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources. More information on USGBC and LEED is provided in Section 5. GREEN BUILDING AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Although many environmental impacts are associated with buildings and addressed by rating systems such as LEED, climate change deserves special consideration because buildings and land-use are responsible for alarge proportion of greenhouse gas emissions. To be effective, the policies that are emerging at the local, state, and federal levels to regulate greenhouse gas emissions must reflect a clear understanding of the connection between climate change and the built environment. Unfortunately, it is not enough for green building to lessen the effects that humans have on our climate. It must also prepare us for the inevitable consequences of climate change on our homes, communities, and society as a whole. A lower-carbon future will not only have higher-performing buildings but also require higher-performing communities. The built environment, including buildings and transportation systems, accounts for more than two-thirds of all greenhouse gas emissions.’ Greenhouse gas emissions come from many components of the built environment, including building systems and energy use, transportation, water use and treatment, land- cover change, materials, and construction. By improving the efficiency of buildings and communities, we can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, focusing on building design and construction alone will not achieve the emissions reduction that scientists believe is required to mitigate climate change. Building location is equally important. For example, a typical code-compliant 135,000-square-foot office building in a car-oriented suburban location will be responsible for approximately 8,375 tons (T) of carbon, or 11.8 T per person. Because this building is in the suburbs, emissions from transportation—people driving to and from work—make up half the total emissions associated with the project.
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a 9 Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Outlook 2008 (EIA, 2008), eia.doe.aow/oiaf/aeo/pdf/0383(2008).pdf.
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