| Do you ever wonder if we are are all alone in this big | | | | points in Green Globes are also addressed in LEED 2.2 |
| universe? With all those solar systems, galaxies, | | | | and that over 85 percent of the categories specified |
| planets, dwarf planets, black holes, stars, suns, and | | | | in LEED 2.2 are addressed in Green Globes." The |
| supernovas, its seems hard to believe that we are | | | | same study indicated that there was only moderate |
| the only folk flying around on a big blue marble. | | | | dissimilarity between the rating standards, but that |
| While I can't tell you for sure if there is | | | | LEED has a slightly greater emphasis on material |
| extraterrestrial life (although I have a pretty good | | | | choices and Green Globes has a slightly greater |
| idea), I can tell you that LEED is not the only rating | | | | emphasis on saving energy. |
| system for the certification of green buildings. I | | | | Green Globes also has a lower cost at about $500 |
| learned this while taking a gander at the Construction | | | | per assessment. LEED certification can cost several |
| Informer blog by Duane Craig. Duane made note that | | | | thousand dollars just for the assessment and the |
| there is another green rating system called Green | | | | USGBC can tend to have their nose up in the air |
| Globes. With a similar method to giving buildings a | | | | about how quickly they get to your project. |
| tiered system of rating their green building initiatives. | | | | And believe it or not there are more green building |
| While allowing LEED to be the only kid on the block | | | | standards such as BREEAM, the GBC tool, and the |
| probably doesn't do too much benefit for the cost of | | | | Minnesota Design Guidelines, but I really hope we |
| green building certification, learning and applying | | | | don't have to start playing a game where we select |
| another rating system makes my stomach start to | | | | what system to use and then have to select all the |
| turn and my face being the only thing turner brighter | | | | green initiatives. Honestly, one is enough and two at |
| shades of green. | | | | the most, but let's just stop there. |
| According to a study by the University of Minnesota, | | | | However, nobody knows how big the universe |
| "nearly 80 percent of the categories available for | | | | actually is. |