Carly Anders

3/5/13

The Importance of Green Building for the Future

In this modern age, the world is bursting at the seams with

excessive waste. Our cities are over-crowed and our resources, for the

ever-growing population, are low. Almost every building in every city

in the country has a poor environmental design, which requires an

amount of resources that is unsustainable. These precious resources

need to be conserved in every way we can manage, and building green

is the best way to start. Schools, office buildings, libraries, and all

other structures make huge contributions to the worlds environmental

crisis through the careless, unsustainable use of energy and materials.

Green buildings can begin to create a sustainable future for us through

the reduction of water and energy, the use of recycled and local

materials, and the reduction of the heat island effect.

According to the environmental protection agencys (EPA)

website In the United States, buildings account for: 39 percent of total

energy use, 12 percent of total water consumption, 68 percent of total

electricity consumption, [and] 38 percent of total carbon dioxide

emissions (EPA). This is a problem for everyone in the nation because

much of that energy is wasted and could be used more efficiently to

power our needs. Wasted energy is devastating to both the

environment and the economy, making sustainable living a priority for

our society. However, it is up to the people to act upon these facts

and demand a change in their communities and government policies.

Raised awareness has inspired Executive Orders and rules to promote

green building. Thanks to the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the

Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, there are already some

sustainable energy requirements for federal buildings (EPA). However,

if the majority of buildings continue to waste the resources at the rate

they have been, the energy crisis could potentially lead to war and

global warming will begin to change the way we live.

The people of my high school community in Arlington, Virginia

decided to put the health of the environment above the status quo of

cheap and wasteful building. When it came time to renovate

Washington Lee high school, the community went one step further and

chose to build a new school that was awarded with a gold certification

in green building by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental

Design (LEED). It was a huge project and it took a great deal of time

and money, but the community will be reaping the rewards for years to

come, and ultimately save money on their investment.

 The water efficiency of a green building begins in its restrooms.

Every toilet in Washington-Lee high school has a handle coated to

protect against germs and instructions for the two ways to flush it. To

flush, the user pushes the handle up to dispose of liquid waste, and

down to dispose of solid waste. Flushing up releases half of a gallon

less than flushing down, creating a huge water saving effect .

According to the article Understanding Our Green Building on the

school website, the dual function toilets, in addition to waterless

urinals, contribute to a 45 percent reduction in water-use compared

to industry standards. Another sustainable water feature of the

building is the restroom sinks, which use a low water pressure system

that saves 77 percent more water annually than the typical water

faucet (Understanding Our Green Building). These changes will not

only help the environment, but also save the school money on water.

The efficiency of the water reduction system in a green building

is rivaled only by its energy saving design. Washington-Lee high was

built with large windows facing south to optimize the amount of natural

light in the school. The south facing rooms have floor to celling

windows, effectively replacing the need for excessive artificial lighting

(Understanding Our Green Building). The rooms and halls in the

school that do not face the sun are lit by energy efficient fluorescent

bulbs, which respond to motion and sound detectors (Understanding

Our Green Building). When no one is in a room or hall the sensors will

shut off the lights, allowing the school to save a great deal of money

on electricity. In addition, the windows of the school are also double-

paned, coated with a metallic layer, and filled with argon gas which

blocks UV rays and reduces the amount of energy wasted from the

buildings heat loss in the winter (Understanding Our Green

Building).

Part of process of building green is paying better attention to the

materials used in construction. When the community decided to tear

down the old building and create a new, green school, 92.48 percent of

the old school was saved from going into a landfill. The 9,057.6 tons

of material was used in the construction of the new building, or sent to

companies that also reused it (Understanding Our Green Building) .

Taking advantage of recycled material is the best way to combat the

dangerously careless use of landfills and the waste of resources in our

environment. The waste from the old building contributes to the 14.37

percent of the new building that utilizes recycled materials

(Understanding Our Green Building). However, when using recycled

matter isnt ideal, its important to build from local materials. Buying

locally increases the local economy and reduces the environmental

effects of excessive shipping. When building Washington-Lee, 41

percent of construction materials were locally manufactured

(Understanding Our Green Building).

Another main environmental concern for a green building is the

precautions the design takes to reduce the heat island effect.

According to the article Heat Island Effects on the Department of

Environmental Conservations website, this effect is due to the higher

temperatures found in urban areas from the lack of trees and

abundance of dark man made features in the city. In order to

decrease the heat island effect, a green building must be designed

with white, vegetated roofs, which are averagely 40 degrees cooler

than black top roofs. Washington-Lee used a type of stonecrop for

several areas of the roof, which retains water well and reduces storm

water runoff. The reduction of water runoff decreases erosion while

the plants themselves filter carbon dioxide from the atmosphere . The

cooler roofs also allow the building to be naturally cooler inside, saving

energy on air conditioning (Understanding Our Green Building).

 All of the combined features of a green building contribute to the

environmental and economic benefits in a community. The world

needs to recognize the devastating effects of careless design and

understand the role each standard building plays in the demise of the

environment. Through the careful use of materials, water, and energy,

every one can make environmentally beneficial structures to protect

our future.

Annotated Works Cited

The Environmental Protection Agency. The Environmental Protection

Agency, December 19 2012. Web. February 20, 2013.

This website gives the governments definition of a green building and

the requirements it has to meet. Also on the website is the history of

green building and the programs the EPA is using to spread the use of

environmentally friendly structures. This source provides a national

perspective to the efficiency of building green.

Understanding Our Green Building. Washington-Lee High School

Overview. Ed. Greg Robertson. Arlington Public Schools, March 19

2012. Web. February 20, 2013.

This is my high schools home page where I found the Leadership in

Energy and Environmental Design report for a gold standard green

building, and detailed descriptions of the green features in the school.

My high school was awarded this certification in 2009 so I have first

hand experience in using a green building on a daily basis.

Heat Island Effects. Department of Environmental Conservation. The

Department of Environmental Conservation, 2013. Web. 3 March

2013.

This website gave me a better understanding of the urban heat effect.

Green buildings must challenge this effect through various methods of

design.