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The Western North Carolina Green Building Council, a newly formed organization announces that it is developing a Green Building Directory which will list local and regional businesses that manufacture, design with, or sell building products that are created to promote environmentally sound (green) building practices. The publication will be free and distributed widely throughout the region.

"Green buildings are energy efficient, use recycled, renewable, nontoxic, natural and reused resources. Such materials are used to create healthy indoor air quality, cut down on energy usage, and provide the homeowner with a much more healthful indoor environment and long-term energy savings. Green buildings minimize construction waste and have the least impact possible to the local building site and to the global environment as a whole. These are concerns that are vitally important to all citizens", states Cindy Meehan-Patton, Council Chairperson.

The Council's members include architects, builders, consultants, product distributors, and the Land of Sky Regional Council. City of Asheville Mayor, Leni Sitnik, enthusiastically supports the Green Building Council's goals. Mayor Sitnik quotes, "The work the council is doing will help define the growing need for and the future potential of green building efforts."

As a way of encouraging environmentally conscious (green) building and development in the region, the WNC Green Building Directory will encourage sustainable, efficient and healthy buildings. It will also act as an organizational and promotional tool for regional businesses and an educational tool for the community at large. Mayor Sitnik states the following about the relationship green building shares with the environment and the bottom line: "As we have come, more and more, to understand that the environment is the place where we live, and is not just a political issue; we can more easily put environmental stewardship in our bottom lines."

The Council estimates that the building industry consumes over 60% of our natural resources and is responsible for more than half of the waste produced by the US annually. A properly designed green built home will use30-60% less energy to operate than the conventional home and require fewer precious resources in the building process. "The result of lessening the impact buildings have on the environment caters to greater sustainability of natural resources," says Cindy.

"Green building is already becoming mainstream in other parts of the US, "says Meehan-Patton. "Austin, Texas, the cradle of green building initiatives, has developed extensive programs to encourage innovative and sustainable building practices. There are also programs in Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Maryland. "Green building programs are usually formed and sponsored through ether the local Home Builders Associations or the City Government and Utilities." Cindy states. "We are hoping to take one of those avenues here in WNC."

Future plans for the WNC Green Building Council include an annual tour of "Green Built Homes", educational seminars, and implementation of a regional green home certification/ rating system.

If you would like more information on being included in the Directory, or on becoming a member of the WNC Green Building Council, please contact The WNC Green Building Council, PO Box 8427, Asheville, NC 28814, or call Cindy Meehan-Patton, (828) 251-5888.