Professionals Plan for ClimateChange

Dr. Paul Crutzen, Hon. FIGP, and Nobel Prize winning atmospheric chemist of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz, Germany, says that the time from the 18th century onward, a period marked by human activity causing global climate change, is a new geological era "considered the Anthropocene."

A short informative piece in NewScientist on "How to survive the coming century" in a warming world is found. For a much more detailed degree-by-degree examination of the state-of-the-art research and the impacts of global warming, Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet by Mark Lynas, is recommended.

Planning for climate change is not just the responsibility of government entities, although many are now following the lead of the City of Portland, Oregon with its plan to reduce local greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is clearly America's leading professional organization in the education of sustainable development professionals with its Web resources, continuing education requirements, Top Ten Green Projects, and the work of its Committee on the Environment (COTE). Other sustainable development professionals (e.g., land-use planners, landscape architects, engineers, appraisers, accountants,and attorneys) and their professional/university education programs have been relatively slow on the uptake of integrating sustainability education into their programs. One outstanding exception is the School of Sustainability at Arizona State University where multiple disciplines come together from areas such as environmental economics, industrial ecology, human ecology, biotechnology, environmental health, architecture, building technology, aquatic ecology, urban sustainability, renewable energy, land use, and resource management.

Allprofessionals in the built environment (i.e., housing and commercial buildings) must be educated in sustainability because of the impacts of buildings on global climate change. According to the U.S. Green Building Council:

Buildings Account for 38% of CO2 emissions in the United States —more than either the transportation or industrial sectors

Over the next 25 years, CO2 emissions from buildings are projected to grow faster than any other sector, with emissions from commercial buildings projected to grow the fastest—1.8% a year through 2030

Buildings consume 70% of the electricity load in the U.S.

Buildings have a lifespan of 50-100 years during which they continually consume energy and produce CO2 emissions. If half of new commercial buildings were built to use 50% less energy, it would save over 6 million metric tons of CO2 annually for the life of the buildings—the equivalent of taking more than 1 million cars off the road every year

The U.S. population and economy are projected to grow significantly over the coming decades, increasing the need for new buildings. To meet this demand, approximately 15 million new buildings are projected to be constructed by 2015

Building green is one of the best strategies for meeting the challenge of climate change because the technology to make substantial reductions in energy and CO2 emissions already exists. The average LEED® certified building uses 32% less electricity and saves 350 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually

Modest investments in energy-saving and other climate-friendly technologies can yield buildings and communities that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthier places to live and work, and that contribute to reducing CO2 emissions

All built environment professionals have a vital role in designing, planning and constructingbuildings that use substantially less energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help to mitigate climate change.

Additional information on Dr. Paul Crutzen and his work can be found at his home page.