Scenes from My 15th Greenbuild Expo

Wow. My 15th Greenbuild (including before it was called that). In a totally great way, this year's event is a far cry from the 150 barefoot people sitting outdoors in Big Sky, Montana, in the mid-'90s trying to figure out what is this thing called green buildings.

Greenbuild is on track to surpass 28,000 attendees this year in Phoenix. This is very close to last year's attendance, while other tradeshows are off big-time. No gloating there; the industry is in a funk and the drop-off is a sad thing for many folks who need to work. But the energy and excitement around green buildings have not flagged at all and could end up being a great way to put people back to work and have folks do well while doing good.

While the atmosphere in Boston last year was one of fear and uncertainty, I would characterize the feeling in Phoenix as one of focus and ferment.

True, LEED has succeeded beyond people's wildest expectations and yet with this success has come higher expectations, not only from the users of LEED but also the U.S. Green Building Council. (And we are in fact still trying to figure out what are these things called green buildings! Thank goodness we have 28,000 dedicated souls rather than 150.)

As it matures, USGBC is exhibiting more confidence in itself as an organization and in the programs and services it provides. Yet this confidence, I believe, is not breeding too much complacency or arrogance -- though neither of these things is absent 100 percent of the time. Rather, this confidence is allowing the organization to branch off from the tried and true and to really re-make things that worked pretty well, but not well enough.

Sitting in the various updates on the organization's plans and programs, a constant refrain from the fantastically capable USGBC staff was that the organization can do better and indeed MUST do better.

This theme of hope tempered by tremendous need was echoed by Al Gore in his opening keynote and master speaker Sylvia Earle, who for over 10 years has been the chief oceanographer of the National Geographic Society.

Gore exhorted USGBC members to continue their important work and predicted that people would look back at the green building movement as one of the keys to having put the brakes on unmanageable climate change. As importantly, he said that all of us in the movement can look our children and grandchildren in the eye and say that we acted when had to.
 
Earle gave a chilling assessment on Wednesday afternoon of the state of the oceans and the timeframe in which we must act, and act radically, to save our precious Blue Pearl. She feels that for humanity, the next 10 years are more important than last 10,000 years.

One (shocking) glimmer of unlikely bedfellows came from the update on the forest certification credit. Is it possible that the USGBC might get SFI, FSC and ATFS to agree on a new wood protocol? There actually seemed to be the potential for universal agreement around a certification evaluation framework that would create separate protocols for U.S. domestic timber, tropical wood and forest products from everywhere else that was floated by a rep of one of the certification entities.

While it remains to be seen what actually happens, as a Cubs fan, this coming together could be great news. Because, if we can get the major forest certification bodies to agree on something this big, can a Cubs baseball championship be far behind?

On a more mundane note, the Greenbuild trade show is the largest yet with 1,800 exhibitors, and a 200-company waiting list. Although the pre-conference opening night was somewhat slow, the traffic and energy level picked up steadily throughout the first official day. I think that after the blood-stirring opening event capped by Sheryl Crow, there should be plenty of energy and activity to make the hard working show floor folks happy today and Friday.

Phoenix has pulled out all the stops for Greenbuild with volunteers on every corner and roving ambassadors on bicycles to help visitors find their way. Phoenix was hit hard by the economic crisis, but to coincide with Greenbuild, Mayor Phil Gordon launched Solar Phoenix, the nation's largest city-sponsored financing program for residential solar power. Downtown Phoenix has nice light rail system, launched less than a year ago, and there is starting to be a there there. I have fond memories from Phoenix in early 1994, when Arizona State University hosted the very nascent USGBC and I foolishly raised my hand to work on "green building standards."

Grandpa is resting this week. He slipped on a wad of $20 bills and hurt his back. He is being well taken care of by his granddaughter.

To read all our coverage of Greenbuild 2009, visit GreenerBuildings.com/Greenbuild2009.

Rob Watson
Executive Editor, GreenerBuildings.com
You can reach Rob at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @KilrWat.