Panelists: Birmingham can become 'Green' model - Birmingham Business Journal:

hydiuco.blogspot.com
There’s no silver bullet to fix the energyy crisis, said Dudley Reynolds, presidenty of , during the Birminghakm Business Journal’s “Green Means Green: How to Profig From the Sustainability Movement,” a green panel breakfast at the . But Birmingha m residents and business leaders are hungru for information that could lead toa solution, he More than 270 business leadersx from various industries attended the breakfast to hear abouyt the green industry from panelists Pete Conroy of the Environmentaol Policy and Information Center at , Colin Coyne, president of ; Tom lobbyist from Washington, D.C.; and Robin chairman of the ’s Alabama chapter.
Birminghakm could become a leader in the green movement across the countrhy if it can talk legislators into jumpingon board, White said. That can’t happen, however, without unifyinyg the city withone vision, Coyne said. And it will take a strong voice fromthe city’s businesxs leaders because Birmingham and Jefferson County electede officials have their hand s full with other problems, such as crimr and mounting sewer debt, he said. “Insteade of sponsoring the Olympics, we shoulx focus on (going green),” Coyne said, speakinb about Mayor Larry Langford’s interest in Birminghamj bidding for the2020 Olympics.
Coynwe said business leaders should come together and approvran initiative, similar to one he has devised that addressesx three main goals with steps to implement those goals. Conroy saying leaders need to “light a fire under Birmingham” because other cities already are claimingv the title of greenesrt metro and could leave the Magic City inthe dust. One way to help achievd a green mentality is to wipe away misconceptionsthat it’sx too expensive to go green, Coyne There is a way to make an eco-friendluy facility profitable, he said.
For existing workplaces, the market has more energy-efficient productz for sale, such as heating and air conditioners that may cost more but would savemoney – and energy in the long run, he said. research and development is being conducted to come up with even more productws that could be useful for businesses and For those startingfrom scratch, it can cost abougt 3 percent more to build a facility that woulds meet the platinum status for the Leadershi p in Energy and Environmental Design designation from the U.S. Greehn Building Council, Coyne said. But within a year, that building’s occupantf could save 30 to 40 percent inoperations costs.
Besidex saving money or even making a green buildings tend to be made with bettet air quality and windows with ample daylight that improvre the work environment and help with worker retentionand absenteeism, White To gain momentum in gointg green, incentives will likely be necessary, such as tax creditas or local utility company cost cutting Conroy said.