[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 94 (Tuesday, June 22, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H4647-H4649]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUPPORTING HIGH-PERFORMANCE BUILDING WEEK
Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 1407) supporting the goals and ideals of High-
Performance Building Week.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 1407
Whereas the High-Performance Building Congressional Caucus
Coalition has declared the week of June 13 through June 19,
2010, as ``High-Performance Building Week'';
Whereas the House of Representatives has recognized the
importance of high-performance buildings through the
inclusion of a definition of high-performance buildings in
the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007;
Whereas our homes, offices, schools, and other buildings
consume 40 percent of the primary energy and 70 percent of
the electricity in the United States annually;
Whereas buildings consume about 12 percent of the potable
water in this country;
Whereas the construction of buildings and their related
infrastructure consumes approximately 60 percent of all raw
materials used in the United States economy;
Whereas buildings account for 39 percent of United States
carbon dioxide emissions a year, approximately equaling the
combined carbon emissions of Japan, France, and the United
Kingdom;
Whereas Americans spend about 90 percent of their time
indoors;
Whereas the value of all United States construction alone
represents more than 13 percent of the Nation's Gross
Domestic Product and the value of the Nation's structures is
estimated at over $28 trillion;
Whereas poor indoor environmental quality is detrimental to
the health of all Americans, especially our children and the
elderly;
Whereas high-performance buildings promote higher student
achievement by providing better lighting, a more comfortable
indoor environment, and improved ventilation and indoor air
quality;
Whereas high-performance residential and commercial
building design and construction should effectively guard
against natural and human-caused events and disasters,
including fire, water, wind, noise, crime, and terrorism;
Whereas high-performance buildings, which address human,
environmental, economic, and total societal impact, result
from the application of the highest level of design,
construction, operation, and maintenance principles--a
paradigm change for the built environment;
Whereas nearly 7,500,000 Americans are employed in the
design, construction, operation, and maintenance sectors and
require education and training to achieve and maintain high
performance; and
Whereas the United States should continue to improve the
features of new buildings and adapt and maintain existing
buildings to changing balances in our needs and
responsibilities for health, safety, energy and water
efficiency, and usability by all segments of society: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) supports the goals and ideals of High-Performance
Building Week;
(2) recognizes and reaffirms our Nation's commitment to
high-performance buildings by promoting awareness about their
benefits and by promoting new education programs, supporting
research, and expanding access to information;
(3) recognizes the unique role that the Department of
Energy plays through the Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy's Building Technologies Program, which works
closely with the building industry and manufacturers to
conduct research and development on technologies and
practices for building energy efficiency;
(4) recognizes the important role that the National
Institute of Standards and Technology plays in developing the
measurement science needed to develop, test, integrate, and
demonstrate the new building technologies; and
(5) encourages further research and development of high-
performance building standards, research, and development.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Missouri (Mr. Carnahan) and the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Smith)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri.
General Leave
Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to
include extraneous material on H. Res. 1407, the resolution now under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Missouri?
There was no objection.
Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 1407, supporting
the
[[Page H4648]]
goals and ideals of High-Performance Building Week.
In 2008, my colleague Representative Judy Biggert and I came together
to form the bipartisan High-Performance Buildings Caucus. We both
recognized that any conversation about our energy future and the
creation of clean-energy jobs must involve our built environment.
Investing in building energy-efficiency measures is the most immediate
and effective way to reduce carbon pollution, lower energy demand,
create good clean-energy jobs, and save American families and
businesses money.
The built environment has a larger impact on the overall environment
than many think. Each year, our homes, offices, schools, and other
buildings account for about 40 percent of our total energy consumption.
They consume 70 percent of all electricity from the grid, 60 percent of
all raw materials, and 12 percent of all potable water in the United
States alone. Through more efficient building practices and new
technologies, we are beginning to address these problems in our built
environment, but there is still much more to do.
I am a strong advocate of increasing the number of high-performance
building technologies and construction throughout the U.S. A high-
performance building is one that incorporates an entire-systems
approach to building which includes energy and water efficiencies,
lifecycle cost analysis, and other environmental attributes into
designs that are accessible, secure, resilient, and in many cases,
historically preserved.
{time} 1445
High-performance buildings are more important in these difficult
economic times because of their reduced energy cost, higher building
values, and lower overall operating and maintenance costs.
Last week, I had the opportunity to visit with many companies and
manufacturers that work in this field. The majority of all building
products are American-made and manufactured. This is key because here
in the U.S., building construction is responsible for 15 percent of GDP
per year. And according to the U.S. Green Building Council, greater
building efficiency can meet 85 percent of future U.S. demand for
energy, and a national commitment to green building has the potential
to generate 2.5 million American jobs.
The retrofitting of existing buildings or the design and construction
of new high-performance buildings will have enormous impacts on the
growth of our economy and securing our energy independence.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I rise today in support of H. Res. 1407, supporting the goals and
ideals of High-Performance Building Week. The congressional High-
Performance Buildings Caucus declared the week of June 13 through June
19 High-Performance Building Week in order to support and foster the
engineering and innovation required for the construction of high-
performance buildings.
High-performance buildings seek to address human, environmental, and
economic issues inherent in the development process through the
application of the highest level of design, construction, operation,
and maintenance principles. These buildings can effectively guard
against natural and human-caused events and disasters, including fire,
flood, wind, noise, crime, and terrorism. When high-performance
standards are used in schools, they also promote higher student
achievement with better lighting, a more comfortable indoor
environment, and improved ventilation and indoor quality.
Nearly 7.5 million Americans are employed in building design,
construction, operation, and maintenance. These professions require
high levels of education and training, the need for which will only
intensify as the number of high-performance buildings increases. The
resolution before us today seeks to promote awareness of the benefits
of high-performance buildings and to illustrate continued support for
research, education, and access to information in these areas.
We also recognize the important roles the Department of Energy and
the National Institute of Standards and Technology play in developing
the science necessary to create, test, integrate, and demonstrate new
building technologies. Moreover, we recognize the innovative spirit and
commitment of Americans to achieving excellence in this field. Our
Nation's economy faces a number of obstacles, and we recognize the
importance of construction and the value of every job created and
maintained by this sector of our economy.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this
resolution honoring the goals and ideals of High-Performance Building
Week.
Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I am proud today to join my colleagues
in designating the week of June 13th as High-Performance Building Week.
Green buildings present an important opportunity: we can reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, help people lead healthier, more productive
lives, and spur vital economic development through retrofitting,
redevelopment and new development of high performing buildings.
As I travel around the country, I have seen the importance of green
buildings in communities everywhere. People are realizing that not only
do green buildings decrease long term maintenance and utility costs,
improve the health of their residents and workers and reduce our impact
on the environment, they play an important role in spurring economic
development and centering livable communities.
I am particularly excited by the work of Mr. Anthony Malkin, who is
taking on the bold and visionary plan of retrofitting the Empire State
Building. When it was built, the Empire State Building marked the
beginning of a new era in American cities. It's a testament to the
pioneering American spirit that we're taking what was a 20th century
engineering marvel and turning it into an example of what is
revolutionary and necessary in the 21st century. By the time Mr. Malkin
and his team are done, the Empire State Building tenants will use 49
percent less energy and provide a cleaner, healthier space for all who
work there. I'm glad to see that this American landmark will help lead
the way to a cleaner, greener economy.
I can't talk about the green economy without discussing what's
happening in my hometown of Portland, Oregon. Officials there are
currently finalizing designs and plans for one of the first major
living buildings. The Oregon Sustainability Center will be net zero for
both energy and water, will be built and operated without using any
toxic chemicals common to building materials, and will source materials
and workforce from the local area. It will serve as a collaborative hub
for Oregon's sustainability industry, encouraging collaboration between
organizations, local governments and research facilities, and will show
the rest of America showing what's possible. The Oregon Sustainability
Center will be the first of the next generation in high performance
buildings and I am proud that Portland is leading the way.
I am proud to support this resolution today and hope that my
colleagues will join me.
Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my
support for H. Res. 1407, which enumerates the ideas and goals of High-
Performance Building Week. The High-Performance Building Congressional
Caucus Coalition has designated the week of June 13 through June 19,
2010, as ``High-Performance Building Week,'' in recognition of the
importance of efficient, green building technology in our quest for
energy independence. I believe consideration of the environmental
impact of each of our buildings is vital to the future of American
society, and I agree with the High-Performance Building Congressional
Caucus Coalition on the need for awareness of the benefits of high-
performance construction.
As a Georgia representative, I am proud of the leadership our
universities and agencies have shown in the national movement toward
environmental responsibility. Several of Atlanta's foremost
institutions are stellar examples of American excellence in high-
performance building. Emory University's Whitehead Biomedical Research
Building was the first building in the southeast to be certified as
green. With a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
rating of Silver from the U.S. Green Building Council, the Whitehead
Research Building uses high-performance technologies, such as rainwater
harvesting, to operate its 150 laboratories. This building marked the
inception of Emory's policy of requiring all newly constructed
buildings to obtain a minimum LEED rating of Silver.
Also located in Atlanta are the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, whose Division of Laboratory Science in 2005 became the
first U.S. government building to receive a LEED Gold certification.
Its unique sun-shade structure takes in light and reflects it
throughout the building, while simultaneously time
[[Page H4649]]
blocking solar heat. Aside from the dozens of technological innovations
the building boasts, its green design solutions have also saved the CDC
an estimated $1 million in annual operating costs. I am excited about
the leaps in the science of high-performance building we have seen in
my State and across the country over the past decade, and applaud the
designation of High-Performance Building Week as I look forward to the
bright future of environmentally-friendly construction.
I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Carnahan) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1407.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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