Address to New Castle County Sustainability Seminar on Green Buildings Follows Climate Prosperity Announcement and Green Jobs Grant to build Electric Vehicles
WILMINGTON – February 26, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) — Governor Jack Markell today welcomed over 100 business and community leaders who gathered to move Delaware forward in the state’s push towards more sustainable building practices.
“The health of our economy and our environment should no longer be at odds. Our economic well-being and environmental prosperity will both grow from the sustained success of the other and the elimination of inefficiencies and waste,” Markell said. “Your presence here, your commitment to this topic affirms the idea that building green makes economic sense.”
Markell’s address came two days after his announcement that Delaware is the only state that will be represented in the national Climate Prosperity Project. The Green Building conference came the day after the state awarded a grant to a Delaware company so its employees can learn how to turn vehicles equipped with traditional combustion engines into electric cars.
“When we build with sustainability in mind, we can cut out the short-term costs such as excess material and energy usage. When we focus on sustainability, we can also minimize long-term burdens such as unhealthy work environments, over-consumption and hazardous environmental impacts. Cutting those costs and reducing those burdens can be keys to economic health as well,” Markell said.
The conference invited engineers, architects, planners, attorneys, entrepreneurs, government officials, developers and activists to share best practices and develop strategies to overcome obstacles to green buildings.
