Last week I attended a class on green building and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) here on Maui. Part of the class focused on preparing for the LEED test to be able to tell people I’m an expert. Well not exactly an expert…let’s just say more knowledgeable than the average joe.
You may not be familiar with the concept of green building, but I’m sure you’ve heard all the other general “green” talk. It’s everywhere. So let’s just say that a huge part of green buildingis protecting the planet for future generations by reducing the impact that building and operating homes has on the environment. Green building looks at very specific details like buying locally produced products to avoid the affects of shipping long distances.
Now here’s the ironic part: In order for people on Maui to take the LEED test for green building we need to get on a plane and travel a hundred miles to another island. There were fourteen people in the class so if we really cared about the environment wouldn’t it make more sense to send one person over to Maui to administer the test? Or how about having a green building authority already on Maui administer the test? Or how about an online version of the test? This is the age of the internet…last time I checked. Not only would we save some jet fuel emissions, but we would also save on paper.
Maybe we all would rather talk about being green more than actually being green. Something to think about. Either way, I’m still a big believer in green building and if you’re planning a new project, you should check out our video at our main site introducing you to The Green Home.
