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Sustainability in our built environment, is the practice of increasing the efficiency with which buildings and their sites use <br />energy, water, and materials, and of reducing impacts on human health and the environment for the entire lifecycle of a <br />building. Green-building concepts extend beyond the walls of buildings and include site planning, community and land- <br />use planning issues as well. <br />The growth and development of our communities has a large impact on our natural environment as well as on human <br />health and economic well being. The manufacturing, design, construction and operation of the buildings in which we live <br />and work are responsible for the consumption of many of our natural resources. <br />Sustainability in Context <br />1- 2 City of Arden Hills Energy and Sustainability <br />Annually in the United States, buildings <br />account for: <br />· 35-40% of total energy consumption (39 <br />quadrillion BTU) <br />· 70% of total electric grid load (3.3 trillion <br />Kwh) <br />· 39% of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (5.7 trillion <br />pounds CO2e) <br />· 50-75% of all natural resource extraction (40 <br />billion tons ) <br />· 40% of total waste stream (164 million tons) <br />· 20% of total water use (14.5 trillion gallons) <br />Environmental benefits of a sustainable built <br />environment include: <br />· Enhanced and protect biodiversity and <br />ecosystems <br />· Improved air and water quality <br />· Reduced waste streams <br />· Conserving and restoring natural resources <br />Economic benefits of a sustainable built <br />environment include: <br />· Reduced operating costs <br />· Improved occupant productivity <br />· Enhanced asset value and profits <br />· Optimized life-cycle economic performance <br />Social benefits of a sustainable built <br />environment include: <br />a sustainable built environment include: <br />· Enhanced occupant health and comfort <br />· Improved indoor air quality <br />· Minimized strain on local utility infrastructure <br />· Improved overall quality of life <br />50.7 trillion cubic feet of Greenhouse Gas emissions annually, <br />seen in scale with Manhattan from 35,000 feet. <br />5,953,642 acre-feet of water consumption annually, seen in <br />scale with Hover Dam from 20,000 feet. <br />67 billion cubic feet of waste (building materials only), <br />including all abiotic inputs, seen in scale with City of Seattle <br />from 5,000 feet.