GREEN BUSINESS VIEWS

Posts Tagged ‘green buildings’

There are good reasons to considered a Green business certification and installing a sustainability officer.  People think they’re healthier and more productive after moving their office space into “green” buildings, according to a recent study published on the American Journal of Public Health’s website.  This is according to a USA Today article taken from Associated Press.  There is more than perception involved in this equation because we know that poor indoor air quality is part of good health and good productivity.  Everyone has felt the afternoon dip in energy, the nagging headache, or even sleepiness that comes without good cause.

The same article says, “The authors estimated a small benefit to employees suffering from asthma and respiratory allergies. Those people would gain 1.75 more work hours per year working in the new building because they would take less sick time.  The biggest boost comes in perceived productivity.  The study’s authors extrapolated that employees could each work about 39 more hours a year in the new building because of different working conditions such as better light, air quality and ventilation.”

This is not only from possible outgassing from building components and furniture in the office.  Bad air is the byproduct of the cleaning service, pesticide use, poor ventilation, pollution infiltration, and the daily wear and tear of every business.

However, getting an building or office on the path to improvement does not come from casual concern.  One of the notable efforts to the sustainability officer is to address the IAQ along with the many issues of making a company Green.  In a holistic approach to environmental improvement, IAQ, energy reduction, water and waste management, lighting, supply chain, and numerous other issues are brought into the planning.  The air quality is a factor, but so is the quality of the lighting.  We have not yet touched on the carbon footprint issue or Green IT.

To solve these issues before the government start clamping down on compliance, more and more Fortune 500 companies are developing Certified Sustainability Officers (CSO) and getting them into a good training program.  The best training program for any level sustainability officer is found at http://www.CertifiedSustainabilityOfficer.com or http://www.CorporateSustainabilityOfficer.com.

Pervious concrete is an odd name for a very unique product, but the pragmatic value that this type of concrete should be used in more communities. We must consider this product under the broad topic of sustainable practices that is being neglected. Rain water is yet another nature resource that is being wasted and mishandled. Prior to any widespread community development, rain water fell from the sky and was mostly absorbed by the ground and run off was mitigated by the trees, shrubs, and grass. Floods often occur due to massive local downpours, but that was less likely to happen then than now.  We have literally change the topography of the land when homes, buildings, and streets have taken over.

When house and building development takes over, millions of square feet are now roofs and concrete have invaded the once verdant areas. In so doing, one of the natural factors to normal life has been interrupted. Comparing the natural resources to a developed community is betraying. No matter how well developed or how nicely landscaped, there is not less toleration for the natural elements such as rain water.

Roofs, driveways, sidewalks, and streets do not absorb water like the grass and trees did when the land was just a field. Rain water must be shunted, directed, and diverted to prevent persistent flooding. This is not very obvious until areas are not being flooded each year or so that never had the problem before. Retention ponds are the normal intermediate solution, and they are a smart idea.

Cities have an even worse problem since there are more roofs and concretes per square mile. There is also a limit on the amount of capacity available to drain away the water that falls locally and upstream. Once the developments are already in place, the options and cost of solving the flooding problems are outrageous. Perhaps that is why an innovative idea like pervious concrete is such a fantastic idea.

Pervious concrete is a new way to prepare concrete. The sand is the key missing ingredient, so you can expect that pervious concrete will have a rougher look than traditional concrete. This seems of little concern and may actually add to the look of a driveway.   The concrete is poured over a layer of course gravel.   The design allows the whole surface to absorb water, and the water then drains into the soil.

One of the other silent issues in developed communities can be the drain on the aquifer level. Wells drain the water and may drive down aquifer levels. These aquifers are replenished by the natural process of rain water passing through the soil along with underground supplies.  This is an increasingly important issue because potable water is becoming a stressed resource, and some suggest that fresh water may be the next environmental crisis.

Pervious concrete has other benefits as well.  Snow melts and drains into the concrete rather than pooling to freeze again into ice that can be dangerous and more difficult to remove.   Standing water will not happen which is something that nearly everyone will probably appreciate.  Even washing your can does not send water cascading into the storm sewer, but drains into the concrete.  The filtration of the water delivers a less polluted water quality than may be found in free-flowing water.  This is a kind of water recycling that makes good sense.

In arid areas, the gravel below the concrete can allow for drains to be diverted into cisterns.  When rain happens in the dry parts of the country, a little advanced thinking can provide water for gray water and irrigation purposes.  The capturing of rain water is certainly an environmentally smart idea, and the reuse to irrigation lawns, landscaping, and gardens is more than smart.  It offers a solution that can rescue yards and gardens in prolonged periods of drought-like conditions.

Of course, many homeowners and builders are still ignorant or leery of this new product.  Some wonder at its durability or strength.  Raveling refers the dislodging of aggregate during wear and tear.  The solution is the proper mixture of ingredients, pouring, and curing.  If done properly, the pervious concrete purports to be a durable product that merits public acceptance.  Regardless of the debate, pervious concrete seems to be an idea that deserves to be promoted in more building projects.