Green: What does it Mean?

If you polled a dozen people about what Green means you'd most likely get as many different responses. Not even Google can produce a definitive answer. The term clearly means something different to everyone in every industry. In a general sense, Green refers to sustainability, environmental consciousness and the fundamental way you live your life.

So, what does Green really mean?

The United Stated Green Building Council http://usgbc.org/ has done a great job defining what Green means for buildings with the LEED rating system (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). LEED focuses on five area; site planning, water management, energy, material use and indoor environmental quality. You can quickly see how LEED has a specific focus creating a foundation to compare and rate buildings against each other in terms of environmental efficiencies and the like.

While LEED is a fantastic rating system, it does not necessarily correlate specifically to other sectors of business and/or life. The take away from LEED is that there is the ability to create environmentally conscious ways of designing and building products that are specific to each industry and company. Everything is different in it's own unique way.

The common bond here is to be aware of the impact we have on our surroundings and try to be responsible about the ways we go about our lives and business. Not everything works universally and effectively. As long as the common goal of environmental responsibility remains constant, a difference can be made.

So, what does Green mean to you and how can you make a difference buy implementing this in your life?