Meet Pamela Lippe, green consultant and director of Earth Day New York
Pamela Lippe, director of Earth Day New York and president of a green building consulting firm, has more than 30 years of experience in the environmental field.
TFK:
What is a green consultant, and how did you become one?
Lippe:
A green consultant is an adviser, researcher, facilitator and educator. A good green building consultant has an understanding of issues, products and technologies relating to sustainable sites, energy, water, indoor air quality, materials and construction practices. We help owners, architects and other design and construction professionals who are not as familiar with these issues to shorten the time it would take to learn it all. We help them design and construct buildings in a cost-effective and more environmentally responsible way.
TFK:
What challenges do you face as a green consultant?
Lippe:
The most difficult thing is convincing people to do things differently. Design professionals and construction contractors usually want to do things the way they have done them in the past because it's less risky and they don't have to spend any time figuring out how to do something new. Time is money in the business world.
TFK:
How can green buildings effect global warming?
Lippe:
Buildings are one of the biggest contributors to global warming due to their typically inefficient energy use. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), buildings account for 39% of total energy use, 68% of total electricity consumption and 38% of the carbon dioxide emissions. When you understand that most people spend over 90% of their time indoors, this makes a lot of sense. In this country, we have a lot of people using a lot of energy very inefficiently.
TFK:
You are working on a green skyscraper in New York City. What makes a skyscraper green?
Lippe:
I am actually working on many green skyscrapers in New York City. I'm proud to say that New York has been a leader in bringing green buildings rapidly into the marketplace. Better indoor air quality, more daylight, more efficient use of energy and environmentally responsible technology and materials are what make a building green.
TFK:
What is the most unusual green product you've seen?
Lippe:
There are lots of interesting products that recycle waste products: insulation made out of shredded blue jeans, furniture made out of crushed CDs, beautiful polished concrete countertops with recycled glass or tiny bits of aluminum shavings embedded in resin.
TFK:
How can kids make their homes more energy-friendly? What can they recommend their parents do?
Lippe:
The first thing they can do is change all the incandescent light bulbs in their home to compact fluorescents. It saves money and energy. They can take shorter showers and avoid wasting hot water. They can make sure that any electrical equipment (computers, TVs, DVDs) that they or their parents buy is Energy Star(R) rated or the most efficient they can find. Also, turn these devices off when they're not in use. A lot of energy waste occurs when appliances seem to be off. It's called "phantom energy" and it's wasted by any equipment that has standby power such as TVs, cable boxes, DVDs and computers.
TFK:
What can kids do to raise awareness and make green living the norm?
Lippe:
Kids have enormous power to influence their parents and the society at large. After all, it's their future that is in jeopardy. They should stand up for their rights to a clean and safe environment. Get involved and make a difference.
Angelique LeDoux
Go Back To Q&A Home
