In recognition of Earth Day, April 22, 2010, which is a day designated to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment, SSOE has decided to launch our very first blog, which will be dedicated to sustainability.  Although the concept of Earth Day is in our minds every day, this blog will be another opportunity for us to share our knowledge and expertise to further the constantly evolving conversation of what it means to be “green.”  Our “sustainable” perspective at SSOE tends to be fairly pragmatic. We have a LEED resume that we’re proud of, but some of our most sustainable work would never seek that recognition—things like helping an industrial client reclaim the heat that is lost in their process or a healthcare client select the right type of lighting to accommodate their needs and also save on their energy bill. The line between sustainability and simple best practices is becoming more blurred—which is probably a good thing. We hope our perspective on the front line of this evolving shift will be interesting even to those of you who might not be a traditional “environmentalist.”

The weekly blog entries will be authored by LEED Accredited Professionals in various industries and disciplines and will address a variety of topics ranging from the basics, to trends, legislation, and so on. As architects, engineers, and construction managers, we have a professional responsibility to our clients, and society at-large, to design energy efficient and environmentally responsible buildings and processes. We don’t have all the answers, and we won’t always agree, but we believe just having the discussion is valuable.

This blog is to share our perspective with you, and give you a new perspective on sustainability—whether you’ve had your LEED accreditation for years or you’ve never thought sustainability mattered much to your business. This blog is also a way for us to learn from you. So if there are specific topics that you want to know about or talk about, send them our way and we will do our best to get the conversation started. Happy Earth Day!