Buzz words - Green and Sustainability - So what does this mean?

Hi John,

You're right - there is certainly no standard definition of what is green and what is sustainable. Most people actually use them interchangeably, which probably is not technically accurate. Of course, there are third-party certifications like Energy Star (actually, a label), Green Seal and Greenguard that offer their own definition and at least hold products to a third-party standard.

Regarding the LEED AP credential, I'm curious about your thoughts on that process. If you've worked on a LEED project, could you pass the test already?  Would you have to study? What do you see as the ultimate benefit for facility professionals regarding LEED AP? Is it more of a credibility thing, or is there real, tangible value that comes with earning the credential?  

Thanks for the post!

John, thank you for an opportunity to drag my soapbox out. In a conversation with a LEED building manager Tuesday at dinner we discussed the lack of variable speed fume hoods in a newly constructed LEED building. I pointed out that the bike rack probably gave them a LEED point at much less expense and asked if they had installed power for recharging the electric cars in the parking lot. Cynics have a much greater role than they are given credit for.

I have worked on two LEED construction projects and used the LEED commissioning guidelines on another. I think it is a fine guideline and moving us in the right direction. I lean toward Energy Star because the end result is quantifiable. My building optimization programs lead to a reduced Btu/Sq.' and follows Energy Star Buildings closely.

A large company should have a LEED accredited "go to" person, the answer person. I would be a little sqeamish if they all marched to the same drummer. It sounds like you might be a good one for your company to save from the LEED indoctrination.

I am a car guy and I never learned how to weld. It seemed that all my friends were learning. I figured I could get one of them to do it for me. Today I do not know the limitations of welding, but I have come up with some very creative ideas they though would never work.

Thanks, Bernie

Here is what I try to promote when the discussion of sustainability comes up:

The practice of sustainability is to continually and equitably improve one's quality of life, an organization's business results and the viability of our community without reducing the capacity of the environment to provide for future generations.

I look at LEED as a very important guideline on "how to get there" but not a bible or roadmap that must be followed.  Also my needs are more towards existing buildings (read old) and implementing LEED guidelines where and when appropriate is my goal in providing a work environment that is safe, clean and energy efficient for end users to provide quality goods and services.

Use LEED like overweight people use Weight Watchers.  There are many ways to collect points and still meet sustainable goals (lose weight).

Hope this helps.

If you are like me, you are overdosing on articles that hype ‘Green’ issues and how to find the pot of gold at the end of the economic stimulus rainbow. It’s not that the topics don’t interest me, but most of what I have read doesn’t help me get closer to the answers I seek for my company or my customers.

It's great that manufacturers are re-focused on bringing the capability of higher efficiencies to their products, but to my mind, the rubber meets the efficency road when operators and technicians are encouraged to participate in education programs that lead to certifications in the particular disciplines they are charged with maintaining. No matter how 'capable' a piece of equipment may be, it takes a well-informed and motivated operator/service technician to manage it to its highest levels of efficiency.

We cannot purchase efficiency, we can enable it through continual training, testing, certification and encouragement.

In business, a “buzz-word” is a device of communication that has become so popular that its use, either in related or unrelated context, is heard in many arenas of conversation. This over-use means one of two things; the word has either evolved into a cliché, or it has developed real conceptual clout. The word "green", or "going green", definitively falls into the first category. "Sustainable," on the other hand, actually belongs in the second due to a sense of environmental virtue. Today sustainability is applied to everything from automobiles to zoology. This is because the concept of sustainability is so simple that it legitimately applies to all of these areas and more. A commitment to sustainability is vital to the future of our planet. Organizations that consider the principals of economic growth, social responsibility and environmental stewardship will be the corporate leaders of the future.

Sustainable is not a synonym for green. Although there is overlap between the terms, "green" usually suggests a preference for natural products. It is probably difficult to recognize nuclear power as a “sustainable” alternative energy source. Nuclear reactors are a highly efficient source of power, emit no pollutant gases, and some types can be designed to generate minimal waste and can be essentially meltdown proof. The problem presented by the storage of the spent nuclear fuel waste would still remains. Nuclear power could not be referred to as “green”, but it could very well be called “sustainable.”

Many professionals experience a predicament when it comes to developing sustainable systems and operations, an undertaking that can be compared to organizational renewal. Sustainable achievements mean much more than just installing the current technologies to save energy and purchasing all-natural cleaning products. Organizational governance is quickly agreeing to sustainable stewardship programs without a complete realization of the depths and intensity of these commitments. Executives must understand the true rewards that can be achieved through sustainable initiatives in order to make sound, effective decisions regarding development, adoption, and implementation of sustainability plans and initiatives.

"Thats all I have to say about that!" -Forest Gump, a man on a sustainable quest.

I would like to suggest the article "Top 10 Myths about Sustainability" written by Michael D. Lemonick in Scientific American Earth 3.0 Volume 19, Number 1, 2009 page 41 on sale now.  I got it in San Diego at a Barnes and Noble bookstore.  The article is well balanced and separates  the common buzz from the more substantial truth.  For example #1: "Nobody knows what sustainability really means", #2 It's all about the environment, and #3 It's a synonym for green, etc.  This is a deep, organizational restructure and renewal as stated above in the way we think about doing business.  It should not be the latest marketing hype.  Please don't make me hate the word green!

Bravo to larry8612.  It is amazing how fast the word "green" has become an advertising blitz for sales and marketing groups.

I have enjoyed reading all of the comments on the buzz words "green" and "sustainability".  There was  a time, not too long ago, that it was difficult to talk to building owners and managers regarding energy conservation measures, let alone "green" and "sustainability".  They were not interested.  The word "green" was not part of any engineering vocabulary.  Engineers started speaking of "sustainability"  in different ways.  Times have changed.  If buzz words help us to achieve our different goals, they are welcome but lets not over do it.

-old guy mechanical engineer