ABSTRACT
It is alleged by the U.S. Green Building Council that green buildings can reduce energy consumption by 26 percent and that retro›tted existing buildings may reduce energy usage as much as 30 to 40 percent.1 New York City and Washington, D.C. require all new construction be “green” certi›ed. In December 2009, Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City attempted to impose mandates that existing buildings go green and failed. Other municipalities have also tested the ›restorm of public opinion for mandating green. And there has been a lot of push back!
