This article presents the fundamentals of green building construction in the United States. Key terminology, indicated in italics, is included in the Glossary. Green technology is becoming increasingly prevalent throughout the United States and will have to be evaluated from the perspective of preincident planning.
Building construction and occupancy use greatly affect human health and the environment. Vast amounts of resources are employed during construction, renovation, and operation. The production of these resources negatively impacts our environment. Buildings worldwide use an estimated three billion tons of raw materials annually. In the United States, residential and commercial buildings consume almost 50 percent of the total U.S. primary energy and produce more than 130 million tons of construction and demolition waste yearly. Pollutants released from energy consumption in buildings include sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, and mercury.
Green building construction, also known as sustainable design, allows large metropolitan areas to provide healthful indoor and outdoor environments, fight climate change, and conserve natural resources. Advanced technologies are creating high-performance buildings that use energy efficiently and effectively. These structures are built in an ecological manner. The objectives of sustainable design include protecting the health of building occupants; improving worker productivity; using energy, water, and materials more economically; using recycled building materials; and reducing the environmental impact associated with the building construction industry.
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