Shelter

My group decided on the topic of shelter.  I really liked researching this topic because if I decide to build a house someday rather than moving into an existing house, I would want to build it in the greenest way possible.  LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, "provides independent, third party verification that a building, home or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at achieving high performance in key areas of human and environmental health" (http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1988).  LEED awards four levels of certification: certified, silver, gold, and platinum depending on how sustainable the building is.  They focus on 9 different important aspects such as the use of sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, locations and linkages, awareness and education, innovation and design, and regional priority. 

Now that I have learned more about LEED certification I know the ethical reasons behind choosing a LEED certified house.  The main ethical theory I associate with is sustainable development.  I am a strong believer in this theory because I feel that our generation owes it to future generations to practice sustainable methods.  This is why I think LEED is so important.  If everyone who could afford to build a new house made it a LEED certified house, there would be a huge improvement in energy efficiency and a reduction of construction waste.  It would even be healthier to live in because of the air quality standards.  Additionally, the LEED houses don't even cost all that much more than a regular house, especially when you figure in the money saved from lower energy bills.  It would be a really good investment for not only the future of the house owner, but also for the generations to come.

Another ethical theory that has a lot to do with LEED certification is the land ethic.  Aldo Leopold suggests that we all "think like a mountain".  In other words it is best not to disturb the ecosystem because only nature has the best plan for the organisms that live in an ecosystem.  LEED encourages people to avoid any disturbance to the ecosystem by making sure to avoid run off that can cause erosion, decreasing pollution, and by using local plants for landscaping.  Overall there are many ethical implications for LEED.