David A. Gottfried: A Leader In Creating An Environmentally Focused Industry

The University of Southern California, shown left, defines its honorary degrees as a means “[t]o honor individuals who have distinguished themselves through extraordinary achievements in scholarship, the professions, or other creative activities, whether or not they are widely known by the general public.” Those selected by the University to receive an honorary degree deliver the commencement address to the graduating class during spring graduation ceremonies. Past recipients of honorary degrees include: former astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, the Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, as well as U.S. Senator John McCain. As commencement approaches, I have decided to honor someone whom I feel is playing a very important role in real estate. I am nominating David A. Gottfried for an honorary degree in laws, an award given for outstanding public service, at the University of Southern California for his efforts in making the real estate industry more environmentally conscious. He might not be well known outside of his niche, but he is leading the transformation of big industries to a less detrimental means of energy consumption, which will play an important role in preserving the future of the natural world.

James Freedman, the former president of the University of Iowa and Dartmouth College, said, “In bestowing an honorary degree [of which there is a long tradition in American higher education], a university makes an explicit statement to its students and the world about the qualities of character and attainment it admires most.” David A. Gottfried, with his many environmentally charged ventures, perfectly exemplifies that statement. Gottfried, shown right, is the founder of the U.S. Green Building Council, a “coalition of leaders from every sector of the building industry working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work.” According to their website, the USGBC’s “core purpose is to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life.” This coalition is currently the biggest of its kind in the United States, with 7,500 members and over 75 chapters throughout the country. Gottfried graduated from Stanford University with a degree in Engineering and Resource Management. On top of establishing the USGBC, Gottfried created the World Green Building Council, ASTM’s Green Building Committee, and was one of many to set up the Industry Alliance for Interoperability. He is also the founder and CEO of WorldBuild Technologies, Inc., an environmental consulting firm based in Berkeley, California. Gottfried has published numerous articles, given hundreds of speeches throughout the world on various topics mostly focusing on spreading environmental awareness. Gottfried recently wrote a book entitled Greed To Green, in which he discusses balancing business obligations with social responsibility, and argues that conscientious companies fare better in the long run. It is Gottfried's belief of balancing between successful business and social responsibilty that is beginning to revolutionize the real estate industry.

The U.S. Green Building Council’s most effective tool in spreading environmental awareness is its recently developed rating system called LEED. Their system, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, has become “the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings.” This rating system is revolutionizing building production, offering a set of credible and consistent standards that green builders can use at their disposal. The LEED rating system focuses on five areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, energy efficiency, water savings, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. There are thousands of prominent buildings that have used this rating system, including Accenture’s offices in San Francisco and the Los Angeles Convention Center. If this system were to become mandatory with all new buildings, or a sort of government reward system were established, energy efficient buildings could increase substantially.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, more than 85 percent of the energy consumed in the U.S. comes from fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas, 18 percent of that coming from individual homes. If not for leaders and visionaries like David A. Gottfried, the future of the natural world would be in great danger. Buildings play such an important role in energy consumption throughout the world, a problem that is not being addressed as frantically as it should. It is important that buildings constructed in the future have as small of an imprint as possible. The number of buildings will constantly increase, however, their energy consumption could be considerably reduced through a number of different methods. If organizations like the USGBC continue to make this issue known, a big step could be made towards a less detrimental way of life.

The environment is becoming an important issue with the American people; it is beginning to shape our everyday life. With that said, if we are to truly save the environment, we must be environmentally aware in every aspect of life. Individual efforts to limit energy consumption do have a powerful effect on the environment; however, it is energy conscious industries that will make the largest impact. David A. Gottfried is leading one of the most prominent world industries towards environmentally conscious energy consumption, and in doing so, is setting an great example for the world to follow. If he were to give a commencement speech at the University of Southern California, he would stress the importance of social responsibility. He would preach that being socially and environmentally responsible does not mean that business will suffer. Most importantly, he would tell the graduating class that their actions over the next few decades, the choices they make, will shape the world for many years to come.

Real Estate Goes Green: Homeowners Become More Environmentally Conscious

The past few years have brought to the United States a newfound respect for, and awareness of, the state of the natural world. This awareness can be seen in many different aspects of human life, whether it be through the increased use of hybrid cars, the development of cleaner burning forms of fuel, or the number of environmentally charged films, like "An Inconvenient Truth," that have been recently gaining popularity. Though there has been a very noticeable change in overall attitude, homeowners have not yet taken a significant stand on eliminating methods harmful to the environment. With that said, recent developments of energy saving techniques have piqued homeowners' interest in the effect that they can have on the environment. With these developments, along with a recent increase in awareness, many homeowners are beginning to take an active role in lowering the energy they consume.

The U.S. Green Building Council, an organization focused on raising environmental awareness throughout the real estate industry, defines a green house as being one that uses less energy, less natural resources and a smaller number of toxic chemicals. According to the USGBC, green buildings can improve air and water quality, reduce solid waste, conserve natural resources and contribute through a variety of other environmental and economical means. A green house does not need to stand out, and could even be made with a less toxic form of paint or a showerhead that uses less water. Building a green house is not necessarily about excessive lifestyle changes, but rather, is about taking a more active and conscious role in the effects that homes can have on the environment, as well as the effects that homes can have on the human body.

According to the Department of Energy, more than 85 percent of the energy consumed in the U.S. comes from fossil fuels -e.g. coal, oil, and natural gas- and 18 percent of that comes from individual homes. An article written by Lew Sichelman, a contributing writer to the Los Angeles Times, entitled "New products say it loud: They’re green and they’re proud", predicts that over the next 25 years “40 million houses and 20 million square feet of commercial space will be built to accommodate America's swelling population.” Certain methods, such as solar power, shown above, and wind power have been available for many years, and do severely limit the amount of hurtful energy consumed by individual households. However, the costs involved in providing such power are extremely high, and unreasonable for the majority of the population. Because of this, new methods are being developed to benefit the earth, as well as homeowners' bank accounts.

The Energy Star, a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, estimates that “the typical house loses 15 to 20 percent of its heat or air conditioning leakage from ducts alone.” Sarah Max, a contributing writer to CNNMoney.com, says, “Energy-conscious construction can significantly reduce that waste. Some of the savings come from materials that provide extra thermal resistance, such as…insulated concrete forms. More can come from designs that maximize exposure to winter sun and minimize summer heat.” These ideas are simple, and for the most part, do not have the high costs that are often associated with energy conscious designs. They might not have as profound of an effect on the environment, but present a great starting point for the majority of homeowners building new homes or reconstructing old ones. There are, however, some bigger scale methods being developed that will play a large role in the state of the environment in years to come.

One new method being developed is underwater logging. Triton Logging, a company based out of Canada, currently manufactures lumber products that are made from trees found solely in underwater forests. Triton Logging was recently recognized as one of the top ten products of the year by the editors of the Environmental Building News, an award that recognizes the most innovative and exciting new green building products. The trees that Triton cuts and manufactures come from forests that have been submerged for years due to hydroelectric dams that created reservoirs and lakes. This is done through the use of remote-controlled submarines, shown right, that clamp onto trees, attach flotation devices to them, and cut the trees with an electric chainsaw. The trees are cut, rather than ripped out, to avoid releasing a large amount of sediment in the lake floor. The company believes that there could be up to 100 billion board feet underwater throughout the world. This process has the ability to greatly lower the need for trees in forests throughout the world. It could provide a much-needed break in the destruction of rainforests, and could end up having a great impact on the environment.

Another example of environmentally friendly home production comes in the form of a new type of countertop being developed, called PaperStone. According to Sichelman, this is a “dense, hard, water-resistant, solid-surface composite made from cellulose fiber and a nonpetroleum phenolic resin derived, in part, from a natural oil in cashew shells…the latest PaperStone is 100% post-consumer recycled paper.” This product is not only environment friendly, but also extremely practical, offering no less functionality than any of its competitors. It is products like this that will eventually become commonplace in homes throughout the United States, and severely limit unnecessary waste.

The one drawback in building a house with such environmentally friendly features is the initial investment required. This investment might be overwhelming in a few cases, with construction costs increasing by more than 20 percent. However, in most cases, homeowners only spend about 2 to 4 percent more on construction costs. A simple change would not bring too high of a cost, and would most likely end up paying for itself in the long run with lower energy bills. With that said, a green house might not be the best idea for a short term investment, but if you are planning on living in one place for a long time, then creating a more environmentally friendly home, even on the smallest of scales, would be a great idea. With all of the new environmentally conscious methods being developed, it won't be long until green houses become as common as traditional houses. Not only will it help the environment, it will also decrease energy costs, and increase a home's resale value considerably.