June 20, 2008—The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a new video on green buildings in its Green Scene series, in acknowledgement of the growing trend of green buildings and EPA’s expanded role in improving the impacts of buildings on the environment and health. The video features Dr. Bill Sanders, director of EPA’s National Center for Environmental Research, talking about how EPA is encouraging and supporting green building.
EPA recently issued a new green building strategy to facilitate the mainstream adoption of green building practices. The strategy builds upon and calls for better coordination among existing programs, such as Energy Star and WaterSense, which are designed to reduce the impacts of buildings and development.
The strategy also includes an increased focus on research. EPA already has invested a significant amount of funding in green building research, including more than 80 grants and fellowships awarded by the National Center for Environmental Research. The center has also awarded more than $5 million through its Small Business Innovative Research contracts.
EPA’s Green Building Program Web site offers basic information; the components of green building such as energy efficiency, eco-friendly building materials, and waste reduction; information on various building types such as schools, commercial buildings, laboratories, and healthcare facilities; funding programs; and numerous additional resources and publications.
EPA notes the importance of understanding the benefits of green building on people, as Americans spend nearly 90 percent of their time in buildings. Currently, buildings are responsible for nearly 40 percent of US energy use and about 40 percent of US carbon dioxide emissions, adds EPA.
