Click the slides to read me!

Our CONVA has officially ended! If you would like to view the final document, click here, but editing is now turned off. We had a long list of people join and talk about sustainability they wish to see or have already seen, feel free to continue the conversation in the comments of this post. ^_^

Hello all! We will be having a CONVA discussion ending around Thursday noon EST to talk about Sustainability in Everyday Life (what "green" things do you see in your everyday life?) and continuing as long as people want to talk. (The link to the document has now been removed, and an updated link is in the recent post for viewing only)

Hi guys! Take a tour of Centennial Hall, a LEED rated Gold building!

Learn More!

LEED and Green Globes are two of the biggest and most prevalent “green” building rating systems in the world.  They have many similarities and differences, including price and the way that they judge/rate each project.  Here at SUNY-ESF there a two main buildings that have received a LEED rating, Centennial Hall (Gold) and the Gateway Building (Platinum).  Both of these buildings received their LEED rating shortly after completion.  Both have their “green” and sustainable aspects, but they also seem to “abuse” the system to receive points that don’t have a large impact on the “greenness” of the building.  Both buildings have flaws that seem very unsustainable today.  Centennial Hall, the focus of our research, has many different flaws and aspects that make us fall into the trap of thinking this building is sustainable and “green.”  The building may seem like a cool LEED building from the outside, and after reading about it, but once you’re inside and see the amount of energy and water that it uses you truly see that the building isn’t as “green” as it seems.

*If you wish to read more of our research, please feel free to click on the links and learn more!

Find LEED Buildings Near You

Are there LEED buildings near you? You can look for some in two easy steps; click this link and look for your building! Some things may be more or less green than you would think they are. Share your results, leave a comment. Be especially aware of why or why they did not get the rating you think they should have.

Meet the Authors

Aaliyah:

Hello interwebs. I am Aaliyah (ah-LEE-ya) and my favorite parasite is Wolbachia. Being that humans are as abundant as this parasite, I think that the more sustainable each individual is, the better off the environment will be. Sustainable practices start with me, and I plan on working my way out to the rest of the world. Join me.

Sarah:

Hi! My name is Sarah (or Sara, the H is silent and irrelevant) and my favorite flower is Atropa belladonna, otherwise known as deadly nightshade. I love how it can be used as a medicine and a poison, showing how even the most negative things can have positive aspects. Human beings may be “infecting” the world, but we can also be the cure for our own actions, we just need to learn how. Construction may have a large impact on the Earth but I believe that, with a few tweaks, it can be turned from poison to cure and help us reverse the impact we have had on the planet.

Zane:

Hello, my name is Zane, I am a Sustainable Energy Management major and some of my interests are hiking, skiing, and many other outdoor activities.  Teaching people about the benefits of building sustainable, green, buildings is something that will surely benefit the environment.  The trail to improving our green building practices is going to be a long, hard, and definitely steep one, but with the right materials and information we can change our ways and improve the world.  So tie your boots tight and lets start climbing.