[U]nlike some other states that have moved to ban the use of LEED in public projects this year, [...] the Ohio resolution, SCR 25, takes on LEED v4 directly, asserting that LEED v4 should no longer be used by Ohio state agencies and government entities and that the state's Office of Energy Services begin an immediate review of alternative rating systems, codes, and standards. — Eco Building Pulse
Citing LEED's failure to adhere to "recognized voluntary standard development procedures," such as ANSI, the resolution makes a move to ban the use of LEED for its government buildings because of LEED's apparent lack of openness, transparency, and scientific basis in the development of its green building rating system standard. The USGBC has recently had to face similar challenges in other states including North Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, and Georgia.
13 Comments
its about time someone called em out, being environmentally friendly is my policy, and I don't need any organization to impose on me, any additional accreditation or their blessing to do what I do.
It's about time. I was shocked by how unscientific they are. It's hard to call them out because it has become more of a religion. They have become what chiropractic is to medicine. Most LEED supporters means well, but the method is skeptical.
But what are they proposing in its place?
Follow the money/lobbying groups...
LEED is a joke. it will be interesting to see how long it takes to crumble.
This looks just like the map for blue statehood, state exchanges for health care, and also the state high-risk health pools that existed before and really didn't mean squat.
Who's in?
The Pacific Coast, and places that like turquoise Indian jewelry like Colorado and New Mexico. (Surprising that heavily Republican Arizona and conservative Utah are in the fold).
The Upper Midwest.
New England and the tri-state NY area.
Who's out?
The Southeast.
The Lower Midwest.
The South Central.
America, and Americans, are so predictable.
But this makes Ohio the ONLY state above the Mason-Dixon line to have this on the table. Weird.
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About time, hopefully it goes countrywide. I know too many "leed" architects who are cluless about environmental responsible design. Seems like its just another jargon next to someones standard office signature.
It sure is about time, I was wondering why states don't just start using the IGCC. LEED is just a money making racquet, and something to brag about for companies who love bragging and patting themselves on the back for doing something that should be prerequisite anyway.
I know in the Southeast, the biggest point of contention has been the FSC requirement for certified wood, something which almost none of the managed forests here have been able or willing to attain. Forrestry/timber is still a big industry here - hence, their pressure on the USGBC has been to get state governments to push back against by either having LEED allow other forestry certifications or to prevent LEED on state funded projects. (In Georgia, that's been effected by an executive order from the Governor's office, rather than through legislation). Generally, it's less about the overall environmental aims as a political statement than the hard money involved in specific regional industries.
The LEED placard hung triumphantly on our local natural food store wall is made of plastic mounted on engineered bamboo, neither of which is remotely close to being locally sourced. The building received innovation credits for having a floor made of natural materials... concrete. Sure looks good though.
WHAT ARE THE POLITICS OF EFFORTS TO BAN LEEDv4 ?
LEED may have shortcomings, but are those shortcomings the motivation for this multi-state effort to ban LEED? Previously, were state agencies adopting LEED as a agency policy or were they directed to do so by a bill passed by the legislature and signed by the governor? Why is this ban being introduced in the legislature rather than agency directors making policy changes?
Going back to the ECO BUILDING PULSE article that motivated this posting I found this reporting on the counter-argument:
"(I)n countering the rising anti-LEED legislation, supporters of the rating system contend that it's concern about (of) a different sort ... that is driving such proposals. In an Op-Ed in Thursday's Columbus Dispatch, Tyler Steele, the chairman of the USGBC's Central Ohio chapter asserts that the Ohio senate resolution is the work of an out-of-state consortium of chemical companies that is "upset that the latest version of LEED would make occupants aware of the chemical ingredients within their building materials."
If true, this is the kind of cynical, aggressive pursuit of self interest that has become the standard mode lobbying by American business of our government, both state and federal, and Republicans have shown their willingness to take on this kind of special interest agenda in the extreme. And no, generally speaking, Democrats are not doing the same.
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