GreenBuild Update

What a difference a year makes.

No lines. Well, no unreasonable or infuriating lines.

Check in was uneventful (therefore brilliant)!

There hasn't been any seating issues.... yet. (The breakout sessions begin this afternoon.)

The expo is huge and roomy.

And the opening plenary was inspirational.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Wow. Just wow. He is the type of person that reminds you that simplicity is genius. That we cannot get bogged down in the weeds of doing right. That tinkering with the process and logistics of social responsibility should not be the focus. That simply making the decision to change is enough. Yesterday, I may not have believed that. Today, I think I do.

And, like all people of greatness, he ended with one simple action - help. Help change the world. Just help. That's simple, right?

I swear, I really believe it is.

So that was our action item from the most reverend Archbishop. And I pass that along to you. Please help. Find your passion, whatever it is and help make the change.

OK, to change gears for a brief moment. I would be remiss if I painted the rosiest picture of Greenbuild so I will mention a few little details that have caused some frustration.

Dear USGBC Planning Committee: If you're going to start a whisper campaign of LEED 2009 changes and LEED v.3 and what's going to happen, and how it's going to change, and when it will all come together, can you PLEASE not schedule an 8-hour course for $500 called "LEED 2009 Technical Review"? One might think, at a session such as that, you would be releasing all the super-secret-squirrell information on what is happening with LEED 2009. Wouldn't you?

We did.

Let's just say that it wasn't. So, you have to imagine that the room was full of people a little disgruntled over the misperception.

Now, the good news from that bit is that they are doing a specialty update session to cover both LEED v.3 and GBCI's plan for the AP exam. Which is great. And, I'll be there.

But it would have been REALLLLLY nice to know this before we came to Boston (and saved the $500 on the LEED 2009 Technical Review).

So, on the whole, good. With little bits of 'eh'. I'm optimistic about the remainder of the week.

Stay tuned!

GreenBuild 2008

We're off to Boston, MA!

This week, Mary, Catherine, and I will be in Boston for the USGBC Greenbuild International Conference and Expo to gather up as much green building information as we can possibly stuff into three minds.

As always, Sustainabuild will keep you up to date on what's going on, what good info there is, what innovations, updates, announcements there are, and we will make sure to pass it along to you, our faithful readers.

We expect to learn more about the LEED v.3 (or LEED 2009) updates. We plan on learning the fate of the LEED AP exam. We will be scouring the expo floor for innovations in materials and technology to enhance our green building efforts. We will hear about USGBC's Strategic Plan for the next 5 years and where the organization's focus will be.

Keep an eye out throughout the week for updates!