The era of green building has arrived! Buildings have a major impact on the environment and use large amounts of energy and other resources. A recent study found that buildings in the United States account for 39 percent of total energy use, 12 percent of total water consumption, 68 percent of total electricity consumption, and 38 percent of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Green buildings, on the other hand, are built to efficiently use land and energy, conserve water, improve indoor and outdoor air quality, conserve resources, and increase the use of recycled materials, all of which lead to reduced operating costs that enhance the overall value of such buildings.
 
With this new pamphlet, written by Mark J. Bennett of Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone P.L.C., J. Cullen Howe of Arnold & Porter LLP and James L. Newman of Newman Consulting Group LLC, you’ll get an overview of some of the leading drivers behind the green building revolution as well as legislative and regulatory efforts to guide its course.

• Find out what makes buildings green.
• Review examples of green building practices.
• Learn about the pros and cons of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) rating system.
• Familiarize yourself with the federal, state and local initiatives applicable to green building.
• Get practical advice on avoiding risks before entering into green building projects.
 
Along with discussion of the legal issues, you’ll also get handy reference materials including a bibliography of relevant books and articles and a directory of useful Web sites such as those of the United States Green Building Council and the Energy Star® Program.

For an informative discussion about green buildings by the authors of this pamphlet, listen to the Weekly Wrapup Podcast for May 28, 2008, at http://law.lexisnexis.com/podcast/Environment-Climate.

To order “Current Critical Issues in Environmental Law: Green Buildings and Sustainable Development,” ISBN 9781422424537, please contact our Sales Group at 1-800-223-1940 or visit the LexisNexis Bookstore at http://bookstore.lexis.com/bookstore/product/71521.html.