Environmental Words "Banned"

Lake Superior State University releases a list of "Banned" words every January. These are words that were overused in the previous year (http://www.lssu.edu/banished/current.php). Two environmental words or phrases were among the list of "banned" words:

"Green" or "Going Green", and

"Carbon Footprint" or "Carbon Offsetting"

I agree that these words/phrases have been overused in 2008, but just as with all things whose time has come and where there is money to be made, everyone tries to pile onto the bandwagon. Rising energy costs have made us all realize that we need to do more conservation in order to avoid emptying our wallets. This has translated into "Green" building which saves the owners money but also has a great side effect of preserving resources and protecting the environment.

With the release of the National Association of Homebuilders Green Building Guidelines Program, homebuilders now have a mechanism to build green and get certified so that the homebuying public is protected. It is extremely important the consumers recognize how important the certification process is. Since everyone is saying they are green or going green (as evidenced by the banned words), consumers must insist on the certification from a third party source to ensure that they are "green" or "going green".

Green should not become a bad word or a banned word, but it will take consumer pressure to make sure that the word is used correctly and honestly.

We will talk about Carbon later!

My first blog, to get the green word out

Well this is my first blog, so readers don't be surprised if it takes me a while to zig when i should zag. But I wanted to mention that a few weeks ago myself and another JCM staffer had the pleasure to work the Delaware Home Show for the HBA/DE Green Building Council (GBC). The GBC is new and I am proud to have been elected the first President. Part of our mission is to get the word out to consumers about what is "green" and what to look for when purchasing a "green" home. We had a lot of interested folks stop by our booth and we told them to be sure to look for the NAHB Green Building Logo as a sign their new home is built "green" according to National Guidelines.

As many of you know, JCM Environmental is approved by NAHB to provide builder verification services for the NAHB Green Building Program (as well as the LEED Program).

Many consumers are complaining that everywhere they go they see "green" claims and homebuilders claiming to be "green". Many times, these claims are not backed up with a certification and this constitutes what is known as greenwashing. At least now they can rely on the NAHB Program to provide a certificate and to cut through the green clutter.