Best Buy has announced that all their upcoming new construction will be LEED certified. Their annual report on sustainability recognizes the cost-effectiveness of high-performance building and expects the plan to save the retailer 1/3 on their annual energy costs."In its annual sustainability report, the company stated that it's upping its green cred beyond ink-cartridge and cell-phone recycling, to jump into the complicated world of green building. Beginning in early to mid-2008, the company
intends to build only eco-friendly stores, certified by the USGBC through LEED
-- a program approved by many eco-activists for its tough standards and
inspections. " -Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, August 10, 2007
The Internet has been abuzz with talk. Can a "big box" store be green? Can a store that covers thousands of square feet of space, often placed in the midst of suburban sprawl be sustainable?
For another point of view, I refer you to Treehugger and their "Lipstick on a Pig Dept":
"Best Buy's ambition to build with "some combination of energy-efficient lighting, rainwater recycling, recycled or otherwise eco-friendly building materials, a high-efficiency HVAC system and some type of day-lighting system" is laudable, but meaningless. The big box model, with its acres of parking where it is almost impossible to walk to the other stores, let alone the big box farm, is unsustainable and has to be stopped.
There is no such thing as a green big box, period. " --Lloyd Alter, www.treehugger.com, August 15, 2007
Do we give Best Buy a thumbs up for their efforts to green their established business? Or do we give them a permanent thumbs down for not changing their chronically unsustainable building?
Is it the first, noble step towards green? Or is it laughable greenwashing?
2 comments:
I have learned over the past 25 years in land development that the first step towards completing a project is usually a small one, followed by many more small steps. Small steps mirror G. Herbert's 1645 Outlandish Proverbs quote "A penny spar'd is twice got". It all adds up. I commend BB for taking the step. It is a noble one.
I recently heard that the Office Depot has also decided to "...sell green, be green..." That is a very rough paraphrase. In addition to selling recycled products, they have invested $20 million dollars in retrofitting stores with new lighting controls, energy efficient light fixtures and new, more efficient HVAC systems. According to the news source reporting on this 'jump onto the green bandwagon' (as the reporter stated), Office Depot has already realized energy savings in excess of their investment and has reduced their carbon emissions from their stores by 10%. Although, it is true, big box stores are not inherently 'green' or sustainable, this is a positive step in lieu of a drastic business model change that may jeopardize Office Depot's industry market share. I say it is a good positive step, but definitely not the be-all-end-all. Keep moving it forward folks!
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