Green building is the practice of:

• increasing the efficiency with which buildings and their sites use and harvest energy, water, and materials, and
• reducing building impacts on human health and the environment,
  through better siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal — the complete building life cycle.
• Green building is an essential component of the related concepts of sustainable design, sustainable development and sustainability.
  
  Environmental impacts of buildings
  
  Buildings of the world consume:
• 40% of the world's energy & materials
• 25% of the wood harvested
• 17% of our water
  
  In the US, buildings account for:
• 39% of total energy consumption
• 68% of total electricity use
• 38% of carbon dioxide emissions
• 136 million tons of construction and demolition waste in the U.S.
• 12% of water use
  

  Our buildings, and how we use them, have an impact on the Earth's resources.

  They also influence our own health: Most of us spend at least 90% of our time indoors, where the air is often twice -- and sometimes as much as a hundred times -- more polluted than outside air.
  
  Green building in the United States
  
  U.S. Green Building Council
  The U.S. Green Building Council has developed some definitions of what constitutes sustainable design of green buildings through its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or LEED green building rating system. The USGBC is just one of the organizations in the World attempting to define what green building design should entail. The Green Building Council of Australia has its own green buildings standard known as Green Star
  
  Legislation
  In 2005, Washington State became the first state in the U.S. to enact green building legislation. According to the law (see article below), all major public agency facilities exceeding 5,000 square feet (465 m²), including state funded school buildings, are required to meet or exceed LEED standards in construction or renevation.

  The projected benefits from such a law are

• 20% annual savings in energy costs
• 20% reduction in water costs
• 38% in waste water production
• 22% reduction in construction waste
  

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  Washington State Law Mandates Green Building
  April 21, 2005
  

  Olympia, Washington - Washington's Gov. Christine Gregoire signed the high performance green buildings bill into law which, according to the governor's office, makes Washington the first state to require that new public buildings meet "green building" standards of energy efficiency, water conservation and other environmental standards.

  "One of my hopes is that by showing the way, we will encourage everybody from mall developers to homebuilders to use the same green building techniques that schools and other government buildings will be using."

  - Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire "With this bill, Washington state is taking the lead to build schools and other state buildings that do a much better job of protecting Washington's air, land and water," Gregoire said at a signing ceremony at Washington Middle School in Olympia.

  A planned remodeling and addition to the school will meet the U.S. Green Building Council standards for such things as using recycled materials, ensuring better ventilation in buildings and reducing water and energy use.

  "One of my hopes is that by showing the way, we will encourage everybody from mall developers to homebuilders to use the same green building techniques that schools and other government buildings will be using," Gregoire said.

  Under the new law, all major public agency facilities exceeding 5,000 square feet, including school buildings receiving state funding, would be required to meet the green building council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.

  Gregoire noted that the new buildings will not only help protect the environment, but also produce considerable savings in operating costs. The Washington Middle School project will help the Olympia School District in a number of ways:

  - The project will save more than 500,000 gallons of water each year; provide healthier air quality for students by using natural ventilation in classrooms; and should save $1,200 a year in lieu of conventional air conditioning.

  - The use of natural lighting and lighting controls will produce an energy saving of 50 cents per square foot, or $25,000 over a 30-year period. Studies have also shown that properly designed day-lit classrooms have increased student learning and test scores.

  According to the State Board of Education and Superintendent of Public Instruction's office, use of sustainable building designs result in: 20% annual savings in energy costs; 20% reduction in water costs; 38% in waste water production; and a 22% reduction in construction waste. The governor's office even went so far as to say the design could result in a potential reduction in student absenteeism; a potential 5% decrease in teacher turnover rates; and a potential 5% to 26% improvement in standardized test scores.

  "This law shows that smart policies are pro-environment, pro-business and pro-people," said Joan Crooks, executive director of the Washington Environmental Council. "They improve our lives through better places to live and work while saving money and protecting our environment."