A True Green Economy inspired by
Building a Better Future, a report by Environment America
’40 percent of America’s energy—ten percent of all the en-
ergy used in the world—goes towards powering our build-
ings. Much of this energy is simply wasted through poor
insulation, leaky windows, inefficient lighting, heating or
cooling systems, and poor construction techniques. ‘
– from Building a Better Future. April 2009 Environment America
The report, Building a Better Future, released early this month by policy group Environment America makes a very strong case for increasing energy efficiency of our buildings with better building codes and increased incentives for retrofits.
The sound research and telling data of this report was refreshing to read in a time where ‘green economy’ is on the verge of being green-washed because it is presented as a major solution to climate and economic woes without enough supporting structures in place to make the transition a reality.
A true green economy will bring lots of durable jobs to clean industries, but the true success, and indeed necessary first step of a transition to this new economy, is that we will start to accept the ethics of living lighter and smarter; no longer will energy conservation be regarded as anti-American. This new economy will spark ingenuity and investment in our future that goes well beyond financial security. As Building a Better Future reports, we can make major steps towards this today by improving the performance of our existing building stock.
