Page 265 - BWA FEB 2013

February 2013 | Business World Magazine | 265
lates to issue of healthier buildings. Platt says
beyond the conservationof energy andwater,
the buildings are not simply about the build-
ings, but the people who live or work in such
buildings. He says there has been data that
shows less instances of asthma and less types
of illness associated with better air quality, as
a byproduct of green buildings. “We want to
be more ambitious about creating healthier
environments... I think when we have more
data, we’ll be able to drive another economic
argument as well. After all, the cost of energy
per square foot of operation is substantial,
but nowhere near the significance of the cost
of square foot per human resource. Under-
standing that better is a real aspiration for
us... and moving forward, we’ll be working
with more medical professionals, universi-
ties, and hospitals,” says Platt.
Platt is particularly excited about the
work USGBC is doing to advance green
schools. Thus far, there are 32 states through-
out America where legislatures are promot-
ing greener practices for schools. A good
education is a critical component of our
long-term prosperity, says Platt, and invest-
ing in green schools is good economics that
will help our next generation of leaders.