While most of the attention on combating climate change focuses on transportation and industry, the efficiency of heating and cooling buildings is often overlooked. Senator Frank Lautenburg (D-NJ) hasn't forgotten, and is sponsoring a bill to require all federal building to improve their efficiency by maintaining LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certification.

Buildings emit nearly 40 percent of all CO2 in the U.S., yet cars and coal plants get most of the media attention. While upgrading all federal buildings would take extensive capital commitment, these improvements could pay for themselves in as little as a year and would also contribute to the goal of reducing oil dependency. As the money is paid back, other buildings could be fixed, and in a few years taxpayers would get a break from the lower costs.

Green building retrofits should be a "slam dunk" with politicians as every state has federal buildings, and the work would be done by local providers, which would stimulate the economy through labor and materials.

Unlike legislation for increased of renewable fuels or more efficient cars, this bill requires only the federal government to act, and it would not disrupt any industries.

Source: Hospitality Design.