Expo shows businesses the benefits of building green.

Recently local governments and communities have focused more attention toward environmental issues such as global warming and its affects on the world. On Sept. 19, 2007 the Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce presented the "Going Green" Business Symposium & Expo.

The Chamber of Commerce, along with the help of Senator Carl L. Marcellino and a distinguished panel of professionals, started to educate local businesses about how they can help by "Going Green." The featured experts ranged from people in the fields of environmental conservation, science, business and industry. The issues that were covered at the Symposium were, alternative and flex fuel vehicles, organic cleaning products and apparel, energy-efficient lighting, building and architecture, solar and clean energy options and other green products currently available for use at home or at work.

Ronald B. Lanner, a registered architect, and LEED accredited professional from H2M in Melville, N.Y, was one of the panel members that spoke about the topic of Green Building. Lanner believes that we must start to address the impact buildings have upon the environment and our health and take the necessary steps to begin to improve them.

"Green Building refers to the design, construction and operations of buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable, and healthy places to live and work. This means that even though a building may be designed to be green you have to follow through to see that the building is constructed as designed, and the building features have to be put into use and maintained to operate as intended in order for the building to truly be green. We spend 80 to 90% of our lives in our homes and offices and the quality of those building have a huge impact on our lives and the environment," said Lanner.

"On average green buildings save approximately 40% of our drinking water, there is a 39% reduction of energy usage and carbon dioxide emissions, and they reduce 50 to 75% of construction and demolition waste from going to the landfill. Going green also saves $58 billion in sick time from work annually and adds $180 billion in increased worker productivity annually all from a better built environment. Green Building actually saves money from both a building life cycle cost and increased productivity and less sick time."

"LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is a Building Rating System that was established by the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED was set up to provide the design and performance system that you need to have an immediate, measurable impact on key concerns like energy conservation, global climate change and occupant health," he said.

LEED accredited professionals are recognized experts in integrated green design as well as the LEED certification process. At H2M there are currently eight of these LEED accredited professionals, including Lanner. "Ideally, one would start even before a site is selected in order to design green. However, at any point in the project a design can be made more environmentally sensitive. It's never too early or too late to start thinking about green building. Although only at the beginning of the process can a fully integrated green building be achieved. Any bit will help; we all need to take these suggestions seriously," Lanner said.

The panel of industry professionals also included Bruce Germano, VP retail sales at Long Island Power Authority; Sarah Lansdale, executive director at Sustainable Long Island; Patti Wood, executive director at Grassroots Environmental Education; Ron Lanner, partner at H2M Group; Daniel Losquadro, Suffolk County legislator for the 6th District; and Frank Murk, associate dean at the School of Architecture & Design at NYIT. The moderator for the event was Greg Cergol, Long Island correspondent at WNBC.