Why not make it mandatory that all new public buildings be energy self efficient?
Answer:
Look, you have to understand. These things aren't as expensive as they once were.
The problem is that new schools and public buildings have to meet very tight budgets.
Why?
Because we won't pay a nickel more in taxes, even if it means we could potentially save our environment, help kids and old people.
The architects that I work for design almost every building like that, and then it gets cut out of the budget because they have to meet a budget without a referendum or tax increase.
Some places are doing it, though. The city of Chicago requires all new buildings to be at least LEED silver, and the same with Chicago Public Schools.
Its a matter of planning your budget AND seeing the long term view AND being able to sell saving the environment and money in the long run.
I don't think your additional comment was necessary, however. Its kind of rude.
Why don't you start abandoning emotionally loaded clichés like "so our children have a chance." And, then understand how expensive and idealistic your proposal is.
are you kidding? do you know how much power energy company lobbies have? remember enron and con-edison? i was just reading we should prep ourselves for round two for privatized energy company scams thanks to our current government refusing to put the breaks on these people. until we have governments that work for us instead of against us don't expect change for the better.
That is a great idea, many communities already require green building practices. There are a few certifying bodies that already have standards. find out if your community requires adherence to green building standards by contacting the building code enforcement office. they will be able (and willing since you are a member of the community) to answer some of your questions. if your community doesn't have any green building requirement write a short letter or email to the city council members (or board of directors, city manager, mayor) and tell them why you think they should.use your city's website to find email addresses.
the following web page is chock full of resources for green building codes.
http://www.pprc.org/pubs/greencon/code_s...
some green building practices can be slightly more expensive, however all the costs will be recouped through energy savings. Plus its great for our health to live in a cleaner environment!!
Some places require that buildings meet certain "green" requirements or are more energy efficient. For instance, California has some standards, and I know that public buildings get points for being better at energy use.
However, there are many older buildings out there that are not energy efficient. More work needs to be done to help buildings that are all ready built become more energy efficient.
Sound like a Great idea to me. The only problem is you have to convince a large amount of People to Support stuff like that. Say maybe a Telethon or school Fundraiser to make money for these sorts of things?
You are the one who needs to think outside the box!
It is a great idea but you need to consider the costs. Most cities and communities do have minimums as far as energy efficiency when they build a building, but like some others have said, they must also meet a construction budget. Most people do not want to pay more taxes than they already do, so who is going to foot the bill?
My daughter's school for example, is over 25 years old. would it be economocally feasible to spend a huge amount of money on an old building to make it more efficient? Some may say "just tear it down and rebuild a more efficient building" but they aren't volunteering to pay more taxes to pay for the new project. There is nothing wrong with the building now, other than age, and I am sure their energy consumption could be less, but they also have to operate on a budget, and I will almost gaurantee that some administarator somewhere is constantly analyzing their energy bills, hounding the principal and faculty about it.
There's a lot more to it than your little box percieves. It is a great idea, and it should be more commonplace, but reality says that it doesn't happen as much or as efficiently as some may like. The next time you buy something and grumble about the taxes, think about what you just asked and how feasible it is.
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