The
U.S.
Green Building Council kicked off its “Fifty for Fifty” initiative
working with state lawmakers in all 50 states to promote green school
buildings. The Council’s goal is for every state legislature in the nation to
have its own caucus or working group of lawmakers advancing green schools for
kids.
The U.S.
Green Building Council kicked off its “Fifty for Fifty” initiative
working with state lawmakers in all 50 states to promote green school
buildings. The Council’s goal is for every state legislature in the nation to
have its own caucus or working group of lawmakers advancing green schools for
kids.
Inspired by the successes of the Congressional Green Schools Caucus, the
initiative will build on widespread participation in USGBC’s LEED for schools
program, which has more than 1,000 green schools registered across the U.S.
At an event held in early September in Washington, D.C., at the National Press
Club, the “Fifty for Fifty” initiative provides state legislators with:
* Up-to-date information
and developments in green building including trends, cost-benefit studies and
incentives offered by localities to advance and promote green building;
*Networking
opportunities with like-minded legislators across the country;
*Opportunities for
partnerships with experts in their communities, from architects to engineers to
contractors;
*Opportunities to
present best practices and successes in regional and national forums.
“For students and
families across the country, more green schools ultimately mean more effective
educational facilities, significant operating costs savings, a better
environment, and healthier communities,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and
founding chair, USGBC. “If we’re successful at creating green schools for every
child, no matter his or her economic bracket, we’ll raise a generation of
smart, healthier, inspired kids.”
According to the USGBC, as the school year begins, nearly 1,000 school
buildings "