May 22, 2008, Vancouver – Greenpeace co-founder and former leader Dr. Patrick Moore spoke out against attempts by activist environmental groups to politicize the green building agenda.
Addressing members of the National Association of Home Builders at their recent National Green Building Conference in New Orleans, Moore said, “Greenpeace is using the US Green Building Council's LEED green building standard as a Trojan horse to deliver an activist agenda that is not in line with science or sustainability."
“Ironically, many of the positions that Greenpeace and other activist organizations advocate run contrary to a sound green building approach and will likely do more harm than good,” said Moore, Chair and Chief Scientist at consulting firm Greenspirit Strategies Ltd.
“Greenpeace is opposed to the use of hydro power, nuclear energy, widely accepted sustainable forestry standards and vinyl products, to name but a few of the things they are opposed to," said Moore.
"How ironic since nuclear and hydro are among the most sustainable of energy sources while wood and vinyl are among the most sustainable of building materials," said Moore.
“These unscientific biases, fostered by activist groups, have found their way into the LEED standard,” said Moore.
“Healthcare is an important field where vinyl materials perform well because of their low cost and anti-bacterial qualities," said Moore.
"In my opinion, banning vinyl from healthcare -- as some activist organizations would have us do in the new LEED for Healthcare standard -- runs contrary to everything I know about sustainability," said Moore.
"A ban on affordable vinyl products might increase healthcare costs at a time when we can least afford it," said Moore. "Such a ban might also have negative implications on hospital hygiene," Moore said.
“We need to be practical and realistic," said Moore.
"There are over six billion people on this planet, all of whom need food, energy, shelter and materials," said Moore. "By initiating campaigns against nuclear and hydro power, wood and vinyl, the Greenpeace agenda would have us deny people basic needs, and that runs completely contrary to true sustainability," said Moore.
“One way to ensure LEED and other green building standards are not unduly influenced by the activist political agenda is to encourage rigorous competition among the various standards,” said Moore.
“No green building standard should have a monopoly on the market,” said Moore.
“Competition is important to ensuring high quality green building standards that are based on sound science and focused on sustainability,” said Moore.
For more information: Dr. Patrick Moore, phone 604-681-4122
