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In the spirit of discussion, this month our commentary and reports explore three contentious issues: federal lands certification, credible identification of green building materials, and international trade impacts and regulations. These may be touchy topics -- and they don't make for your typical summertime, beach reading material -- but we've done our best to make them page-turners! Enjoy! - Jeff
Dovetail Commentary: Looking Controversy in the Eye Designation of
Environmentally Preferable Building Materials - Fundamental Change Needed
Within LEED -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D o v e t a i l C o m m e n t a r y Looking Controversy in the Eye The Debate Over the Certification of National Forests One of the great challenges to resolution of complex environmental issues, particularly those involving our beloved forests, is the simple fact that the differing sides are often actually debating different issues, on parallel paths, and with no clear way to resolve what are often two very different and very closely held points of view. To a certain degree it’s a bit like one person saying “wow isn’t the sky really blue” and the other responding “I just got a great new truck!” Huh? While one is responding to the specific stimulus of the sky, the other is thinking, what a great day… to wash the truck. It’s only an increased understanding of each other that facilitates any ability for either of these two individuals to transition the verbal conversation to an intuitive recognition that a blue sky means two different things; and that both meanings are ok, just very, deeply different. Today a front burner question is whether or not the U.S. Forest Service should pursue certification of our national forests using independent, international or third-party standards. From my point of view this is not actually a debate about certification but about usage. To read the commentary, visit: http://www.dovetailinc.org/DovetailComm0606.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D o v e t a i l R e p o r t s All publications are available online at: http://www.dovetailinc.org/publications.html Designation of Environmentally Preferable Building Materials - Fundamental Change Needed Within LEED Dr. Jim Bowyer Green building recognition programs have been developed in Europe and North America over the past 10-15 years with an objective of shifting the built environment toward a more sustainable mode. Such programs are important – certainly in concept – in focusing building designers and construction firms on more efficient use of energy and water, improvement of indoor air quality and occupant safety, development of more liveable and environmentally sustainable communities, and reduction of environmental impacts in the construction and operation of buildings.
Because green building programs have the potential to significantly influence builder and architect behaviors, it is important that these programs be free of bias and any political pressure that could compromise their ability to improve environmental performance. Those responsible for developing, managing, and implementing private green building recognition programs do, of course, have the prerogative of identifying priorities that express their goals and interests. However, as the influence of green building programs grows it is critical that guidelines and requirements of these programs be rational, realistic, comprehensive, and science-based to assure they actually achieve positive outcomes. To read the introduction and download the report, click here. International Standards and Trade Barriers Matthew Wenban-Smith Certification of consumer goods based on environmental and/or social responsibility standards, such as certification of forests and forest products, can be used as an effective and cost efficient tool by governments and inter-governmental organizations to improve compliance with a wide variety of social and environmental policies and commitments. However, thus far governments around the globe have generally been reluctant to show strong support for forest certification and other certification programs despite the growing evidence of their positive impacts. For the most part certification is having these impacts despite, not because of, government policy. Governments imply that even if they want to implement such policies they cannot, in case they are interpreted as being ‘barriers to trade'.
This Dovetail Report suggests that international standards for the responsible trade in forest products could provide a way out of this cul de sac. Reference to international standards would allow governments to specify and implement procurement policies that favor socially and environmentally friendly products, while making use of a non-governmental mechanism for verifying compliance. International social and environmental standards present an under-utilized opportunity for improving people's lives around the world.
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