In an important Earth Day message this year, Denis Hayes — the coordinator of the original Earth Day in 1970 and International Chairman of Earth Day 2010 issued a reminder that not all 'eco' wood products are the same.
Hayes notes, "We must be vigilant in scrutinizing what passes as “green” in our expanding marketplace for eco-friendly products." Hayes, a nationally recognized leader on conservation policy, reminds the U.S. Green Building Council as well as consumers that the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program could be “diluted” by allowing timber industry-set standards for forest management to pass as equal to those of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), “the gold standard for good forestry.”
If you're building your own home with wood, in the wood market or just want to know which wood products really meet sustainable standards, this op piece is an excellent read.
Read the whole piece at the Forest Stewardship Council.
Hayes notes, "We must be vigilant in scrutinizing what passes as “green” in our expanding marketplace for eco-friendly products." Hayes, a nationally recognized leader on conservation policy, reminds the U.S. Green Building Council as well as consumers that the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program could be “diluted” by allowing timber industry-set standards for forest management to pass as equal to those of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), “the gold standard for good forestry.”
Quote:
“If the U.S. Green Building Council yields to timber industry demands to include the weaker SFI [Sustainable Forestry Initiative] standards for forest products,” writes Hayes, president of the Bullitt Foundation, whose mission is environmental protection and sustainability in the Pacific Northwest, “ ... LEED certification would lose much of the green cachet it currently enjoys; FSC would suffer a serious blow; and our forests would be the losers.”
If you're building your own home with wood, in the wood market or just want to know which wood products really meet sustainable standards, this op piece is an excellent read.
Read the whole piece at the Forest Stewardship Council.
