Green is Profitable. Green is Healthy.
Posted By Sidney on October 15, 2009
Photo by InkHack
Today, I am joining with bloggers from 11,512 other blogs (and counting) to write about climate change for Blog Action Day 2009. I chose to write about green buildings and sustainable practices as one key element to fighting climate change.
Last week, I attended a session at the Council on Foundations Fall Conference of Community Foundations called the “Emerging Green City.” I came away from this plenary with specific examples of how “going Green” or implementing sustainable practices is both profitable and healthy. Kevin K. Murphy, moderator for the session and President and CEO of Berks County Community Foundation emphasized that there is increasing consumer demand for detail regarding sustainable practices of companies and institutions. Consumer dollars are beginning to fall in line with consumer conscience, a practice that can either result in increased revenue if organizations are “going green” or decreased revenue if they are found to be green-lacking. To illustrate this point, Murphy gave an example of how incoming college students are starting to request information on the sustainability practices of potential colleges and universities before making a decision where they will attend.
Also, presenter Doris W. Coo, President and CEO of Enterprise Community Partners, gave the example of how the Seattle Housing Authority’s (SHA) green building efforts have saved hundreds of thousands of dollars. Curious to know more, I googled SHA and found the fascinating study Coo was citing. The “Sharing the Benefits of Going Green: A Study of the High Point Community” showed how in one year one housing community realized actual costs that were 56 percent below the Seattle average for a total savings of $500,000. This amount will now be used as additional revenue.
But not only did the study find implications for the bottom line, it also showed that the units designated as “Breathe Easy” Homes (especially designed to minimize the environmental factors that trigger asthma and other respiratory diseases) had a significant impact on health. For example, asthmatic children living in these homes experienced a 61 percent increase in the number of symptom-free days and a 67 percent reduction in the use of urgent clinical care.
WOW! So basically sustainable practices have the potential to dramatically reduce health care costs as well as improve the overall quality of life for children who suffer from chronic severe asthma? What a call-to-action for foundations to lead the charge for profitable, healthy, sustainable practices in our communities. There is no excuse not to fully commit to sustainable practices.
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