Breathing Easy: Improving Indoor Air Quality Through Green Building as Public Policy

摘要

Poor indoor air quality is a significant, growing concern for office workers. Indoor air quality-related illnesses like sick building syndrome impose a variety of personal, economic, and legal costs on both workers and employers. In this Article, Scott Anchin argues that green building in accordance with the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards has the potential to significantly reduce instances of indoor air quality-related illnesses, resulting in healthier and happier workers, higher productivity, and considerable long-term cost savings. Whether green building will improve indoor air quality depends largely on the support of state and local governments, and to a lesser degree, the federal government and nonprofit organizations. Anchin argues that these organizations should use financial incentives, legislative reform, and education for developers and the public to help green building achieve this goal.