To Preserve is to Sustain - Let’s get Green together

Yes, it is better to reuse than to toss out. That applies to just about everything, except maybe old toothbrushes.

It is most applicable to our building stock. To emphasize this point, the National Trust for Historic Preservation is walking the walk and talking the talk. The Trust has launched a Sustainability Program. If you care about the environment and our climate problems, the Trust website should be a regular stop for you. You should also consider giving them some of your money. They do and have always done great work.

The Trust has recently launched Preservation Green Lab, headquartered in Seattle. Here’s an excerpt from the Trust website:

As a key component of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Sustainability Program, the Preservation Green Lab will focus on these three goals:

Good Policy, Green Results: The greenest building is often the one that is already built, which is precisely why the Preservation Green Lab will work in various cities and states to develop and implement policies that support green retrofits and adaptive reuse, as well as reinvestment in existing communities.

Greening by Example: To demonstrate that older and historic buildings can, in fact, be retrofitted to achieve high levels of energy efficiency, the Preservation Green Lab will launch a number of green retrofit projects in pilot cities across the country.

The Go-To for Going Green: The Preservation Green Lab will lead the conversation on best practices and model policies for greening our country's prized older and historic buildings, functioning as the go-to resource for those navigating the intersection of historic preservation and sustainability.

We just might have to coordinate a visit from these folks. Or maybe we need our own New Albany Green Lab?