By Gary Nurenberg
CNN
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- From a Santa Monica, California, office building on the West Coast to a Gaithersburg, Maryland, youth center in the East, buildings designed to be energy efficient and conserve natural resources are sprouting up across the country.
"It's a no-brainer. There's no reason today that you should be building any other way than green," says Michelle Moore with the U.S. Green Building Council.
"Green buildings are an immediate and measurable way to save energy, reduce CO2 emissions, reduce water consumption and create a better, healthier environment."
***
"Buildings contribute 40 percent of emissions and 40 percent of heat that's radiated into the environment. Buildings are actually worse consumers of energy than cars."
***
"We use about 60 percent less electricity than a typical office building this size."
***
more:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/03/green.buildings/index.html