JIM AND JOE’S GREEN CERTIFICATION PROGRAM

Like all reporters, I like to be the first one breaking a news story.  So here goes.

Jim and Joe, two builders that were having a tough time keeping their doors open and staying ahead of the creditors were discussing that they should jump onto the  “Green” building bandwagon and maybe they could get some homes to build.

First they looked on the Internet and googled “building green homes”.  That was an eye opener.  There were over a million hits for that!  Then they thought that maybe they should find out HOW to build a green home from the “Green” gurus.  Turns out there are hundreds of different green associations, councils and organizations.

All of these were different from each other in quite a few ways.  First they looked at LEEDS and said that was too hard.  Then they went to the NAHB site and found that it was easier to understand but still would cost them both in building techniques and certification.  One after another they just couldn’t justify the money needed to be green certified.

They also discovered that nobody was actually regulating what green was.  “That’s when the light bulb went off” said Jim.  “Why don’t we start our own green certification program and charge a small fee for each house a builder completes.”  And that’s what they did.  They started  Jim and Joe’s Green Certified Homes.

First Jim and Joe made a checklist for the builder to complete.  If green meant keeping a low carbon footprint, then what would be an easy way to do that?  They decided that if the products used in a home had a guaranteed life of 30 years or more, that would help keep the planet green.

They came up with 10 questions and if the builder answered “YES” to each one, the builder would get a certificate for the house and a small brass plaque that could be attached to the front door that the homeowner could proudly point out to every visitor.

The questions included:

Do you use 30 year shingles?

Does your siding come with a 30 year warranty?

Did you install at least one fluorescent light bulb? per Obama

There are seven more questions, but you get the drift!  And what are they charging the builder for a certificate pronouncing the builder’s home “GREEN?”  $200!  and worth every penny!

Jim and Joe are pure fiction but this scenario isn’t!  What is it going to take to make a green standard we can all live with?