Is It Green Or Is It Greed?

The construction industry has a 17% unemployment rate, but one sector not suckered into job losses are green buildings.

Accounting for up to one-third of all new construction in the US, green buildings are the hot new trend in construction. They're the asbestos of the new millennium, only without the carcinogens.

But what makes a building 'green' anyway?

For most, having the designation of a LEED certified building seals the deal (or is that insulates the deal?). LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a term created by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a non-profit consortium of builders and designers.

But does the point-based system really make buildings greener, or just the wallets of its council? As far as new construction is concerned, do we really need any more buildings, or would it be 'greener' to simply rehab older buildings and bring them up to modern code?

It may be time to question some of the assumptions one makes about what makes a home environmentally sound.

After all, like most movements, the green movement seems to be more about making money than saving manatees.