Engineered Wood Journal - Spring 2009 - (Page 16) building, GBI commissioned a tool that provides instant LCA results for hundreds of common building assemblies. That tool has been incorporated into the Green Globes standard and is also available free of charge, under the name ATHENA® EcoCalculator for Assemblies, from the Athena Institute (www.athenasmi.ca). By allowing designers to impartially evaluate and compare design scenarios based on their environmental impacts, LCA helps to ensure that a building meets its sustainability objectives—without influence from pre-existing biases that have long been an accepted part of green building. An example of this that’s relevant to the wood industry would be rewarding a product with recycled content without considering the embodied energy actually required to extract, manufacture, transport, install and maintain that product over time. Making Sure Your Voice is Heard While the GBI is vocal in its support of a competitive environment and tools that make green building more accessible to mainstream practitioners, it is the responsibility of individual industries to voice their own concerns about the potential for a rating system monopoly. The legislative and regulatory environment surrounding green building treme equipment protection. With the current market conditions of the engineered wood industry and the ever-present need for increased press/equipment protection, it’s vital to get the most from your lubricants. JAX Pyro-Kote® Series Fluid is the world’s most advanced high-temperature synthetic lubricant for the engineered wood industry. JAX lubricants help you slash replacement purchases by providing protection beyond conventional limits. When you need to make every ounce count, call JAX. is evolving quickly—and the current economic challenges will only serve to increase the desire for operational and other savings associated with building sustainability. Elected officials nationwide are in the process of deciding what is considered green, whether to put in place incentives or mandates, which rating systems will be used to determine success, and other issues that will impact everyone involved in the building industry for many years to come. Organizations such as the American Forest and Paper Association (AF&PA) are active in the legislative arena on the wood industry’s behalf, but the only way to ensure that all levels of government understand the importance of issues such as competition and LCA is for the industry to participate en masse in the debate. Joining a green building organization such as the GBI, participating on a committee working to expand green building within your state or municipality, or submitting your comments with regard to proposed policies and legislation all allow you to engage in the discussion and ensure your voice is heard. Participation also allows you to showcase your industry’s strengths and relevance to the green building movement, and the efforts you have made over many years to ensure that your products and processes are sustainable. ● Mark Rossolo is the director in charge of state outreach for the Green Building Initiative, www.thegbi.org. 16 Engineered Wood Journal • Spring 2009 http://www.athenasmi.ca http://www.jax.com http://www.thegbi.org http://www.westsalem.com
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