Page 9 - Green Builder Magazine Sept-Oct 2017

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Green Building NEWS

The Latest on Sustainability and Renewable Energy
Contractors Get

a Way to Keep

Things ‘Clean’

Now, builders don’t have to

go far for green products.
A CREDIT: THE SOLUTIONS PROJECT
NEW TOOL FROM the BlueGreen Alliance
Foundation is offering everyone from building
professionals to consumers a way to find energy-
efficient housing products that are healthy and
made locally. Building Clean—found at www.
buildingclean.org—provides an easy-to-use interface to access Renewed potential. A variety of green power options could lead to
its unique database. Products and manufacturers of products the end of fossil fuel use by at least 139 nations by mid-century.
available on the database include appliances, heating and
air-conditioning equipment, insulation, lighting, plumbing, Fossil Fuels Could Be All
roofing, sealants and
water filtration.
According to Kim but Extinct to Phased Out
Glas, president of the
BlueGreen Alliance Stanford study shows that most nations
Foundation, the site
allows searches for can be powered entirely by renewables.
products and manu- Y 2050, AT LEAST 139 COUNTRIES could be powered
facturers in energy- entirely by wind, water and solar by making only a few
efficient building infrastructure changes, according to a study by Stanford
sectors and includes University researchers.
information about B All 139 nations profiled in the study were members of
toxic chemicals CREDIT: BLUEGREEN ALLIANCE FOUNDATION the Paris Climate Agreement as of 2015, including the United States.
commonly found in These nations account for 99 percent of all fossil fuel-derived carbon
some product cat- dioxide, according to lead researcher Mark Jacobson.
egories. In addition, The study notes that clean energy practices required by the surveyed
you can search for countries would also prevent up to 7 million deaths annually from
products certified Market value. The Building Clean air pollution, and create 24 million long-term, full-time jobs. It would
with third-party search tool gives manufacturers and also result in stable energy prices, because fuel would arrive for free.
health certifications builders a chance to buy their housing It won’t be an easy transition for everyone, Jacobson says. Nations
and that promote products from local providers. with larger geographic areas and smaller populations—such as the
transparency by listing the chemicals they contain. United States and European Union countries—will have an easier
The site can also be a resource for businesses looking time giving up fossil fuels than more densely packed ones like
to break into the energy-efficient product supply chain. Singapore. Each nation’s governmental views will also play a role.
“We wanted to make sure we were making it easy for “Policymakers don’t usually want to commit to doing something
manufacturers looking to grow their businesses to find and unless there is some reasonable science that can show it is possible,
get into contact with other business with needs they can and that is what we are trying to do,” Jacobson says. “There are other
fulfill, providing an opportunity to grow their market and scenarios. We are not saying that there is only one way we can do
business,” Glas says. GB
this, but having a scenario gives people direction.” GB

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