Voice support 
for ‘going green’

In this day and age, we, as responsible citizens, are left with no feasible alternative but to take ownership and responsibility for the impact that we have on the surrounding environment.

“Going green” is a financially sound and necessary trend that we must all subscribe to. While we all do our own small part in our daily lives, as taxpaying voters we must also demand that the managers of our government put fourth the same effort.

As a resident of Hampton, I am proud to say that my state representative, Mike Boland, an East Moline Democrat, is in fact doing his part by introducing the Green Buildings Act. The Green Buildings Act would set environmentally friendly, energy-efficient building standards on all new state-funded facilities, as well as on renovations of current state-owned facilities. These standards would require that such facilities achieve certification through the Leadership and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System, or equivalent certification.

According to the United States Green Building Council Web site, LEED focuses on five specific areas: “Sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.”

The adoption of the Green Buildings Act would ensure that the state of Illinois continues to do its part in maintaining the environment, while keeping energy costs to a minimum.

I urge you to contact your Illinois state representative and voice your support for this bill. It is our tax dollars financing the construction and upkeep of these facilities, and it is our right and responsibility to require they be both energy efficient and environmentally friendly.