Open for Business

Hey all- Asaf here again. 

I’ve been thinking recently about how I was first introduced to the whole ‘sustainability craze’. I remember my parents always trying to do things more sustainable. I never fully grasped why they would look into buying a hybrid car or use reusable grocery bags however. It wasn’t until I arrived at Ithaca College and heard the plans for a new business building with sustainability in mind that I fully understood why it was so important. I think a major hidden benefit of this building, and LEED certification in general, is that it works as an eye opener. If the general public sees that Colleges and Fortune 500 companies are putting millions into making their buildings sustainable, they will finally realize this is a serious issue we are dealing with.

The reason this was on my mind has do with the alternative spring break program I attended last week in which I was down in New Orleans gutting and rebuilding houses. Beyond being a moving experience in which I was able to view the carnage first hand and hear the horror stories of survivors it was amazing to see the potential the city has for being rebuilt. I cannot tell you how many different organizations and companies with the goal or rebuilding have ‘for a sustainable New Orleans’ somewhere in their mission statements. A perfect example of this are the 150 houses Brad Pitt is building in the Lower 9^th Ward (the hardest hit area) which are made to be completely sustainable. All of these organizations and companies building with sustainability in mind will have an impact on everyone that occupies, uses daily, or even drives past them on their morning commutes. This trickle down effect has impacted me and gotten me involved in the sustainability movement I am certain will have an effect on countless more people. 

Asaf