Ellen Engstedt-Simpson - September 24, 2007
Montana Wood Products Association
Green Buildings and Timber
“GREEN BUILDINGS AND TIMBER”
Attempts were made during the 2007 legislative session to force state agencies to use a specific green building standard in the construction of new state buildings or in remodeling of existing structures. The attempts failed and rightly so. However, the move is still on by some who, by their actions, are discriminating against Montana wood processing manufacturers.
As with many environmental issues there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to constructing energy efficient buildings that will leave the least amount of footprint on the planet. Wood comes the closest as the best building material because it is a renewable and sustainable resource that sequesters carbon and plays a vital role in reducing climate change effects.
It would seem then that those of us in the timber community would be leading the band and beating the drum in promoting green building standards for all construction. The problem is not with green building the problem is with the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or LEED standards.
The LEED system clearly discriminates against wood product use because under its ratings, certain wood products are put at a significant disadvantage. For example, the system provides credit for rapidly renewable materials, such as bamboo flooring, a product not grown in Montana, while construction lumber is excluded.
Further, LEED provides a specific credit only for forest products that have been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. No credits are given for wood products produced by companies certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative or the American Tree Farm System – the two largest sustainable forest management systems in the country – and under which millions of Montana forest acres are certified but would not qualify for use.
LEED preference clearly encourages architects and designers to use non-renewable alternatives such as steel and concrete which are not subject to certification standards. Science indicates that wood is superior to both of those materials with regard to energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and pollution.
Seeing how selective green building standards can injure local businesses by disallowing use of certain wood products, President Bush early in January of this year signed an Executive Order that requires federal agencies to rely on green building rating systems. However, neither the Executive Order nor the Memorandum of Understanding signed by 20 agencies requires use of any particular rating system thus allowing credit for use of renewable materials such as wood and more credit for certified materials.
Under the LEED only system no local Montana wood processing facility would qualify to supply materials to a public building project. This would mean if wood is even being selected as the desired material, it would have to be transported from elsewhere. When considering transportation costs and the fact that the value-added product would be produced outside of Montana’s economy, this scenario becomes even more unacceptable because it would be undermining our rural economies where the products could be manufactured.
The last component in this cycle of green building standards is the effect of active management through sustainable forestry practices. The thinning of trees has a positive effect because it could help to reduce the number and intensity of fires that emit huge quantities of carbon dioxide as we all sadly know from the 2007 wildfire season.
We in the timber community are heartily in favor of the use of wood as the building material of choice. We do suggest caution though when building green and particularly point out the negative impact LEED only standards have on Montana businesses.
On behalf of the Montana Wood Products Association, I am Ellen Engstedt-Simpson. Thanks for listening.
|
|
