An article in the October 17 issue of ENR titled “Green Infrastructure Faces Tough Time Gaining Traction” (subscription necessary) highlights some of the problems applying sustainability to infrastructure design and construction. The article outlines some of the hurdles as:
- Lack of data to demonstrate benefits against cost and performance;
- Lack of design standards and best practices;
- Lack of financial incentives; and
- Regulations that can be overly prescriptive and inflexible.
I agree that each of these “hurdles” does pose a problem to those of us in the design community who think in terms of longevity and serviceability, but not necessarily other issues surrounding sustainability. That said, I think it’s time we all step out of our comfort zones and take a harder look at green initiatives in infrastructure.
Whether you believe in global warming or not, you must agree that we can do better. The same logic should be applied to our future infrastructure investments. We know how to do better and have a responsibility to the generations that follow to do so. I hope you join me in making infrastructure green.
