Green, more than a color, is a catchall term used to describe an ecoconscious lifestyle, including everything from hybrid-fuel-powered cars to recycled consumer goods to solar electricity. The big-minded concept is to preserve the Earth’s natural resources by reducing waste and pollution through innovative design and improved efficiency. In development circles, green has gone from a boutique idea to a mandatory part of architecture and construction.
“It’s not just about energy savings,” said Craig Willcut, president of United Construction, which opened new sustainable offices in Reno this year. “It’s about providing a healthy environment for employees, as well as being socially responsible for our part of the environment.”
Buildings are responsible for 40 percent of the Earth’s global warming, observers say.
”Corporate responsibility is becoming unavoidable,” said Rick Van Diepen, chairman of the Committee on the Environment for the Las Vegas chapter of the American Institute of Architects. “Employee productivity is being improved by 1 percent to 2 percent, conservatively, by working in a green building. That is a huge bottom-line savings.”
“Turning green can cut energy costs by 40 percent or more, and upgrading a building’s lighting can add $6 per square foot to its value.”
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