Global warming, the affordable housing problem, the depletion of resources, even the quality of indoor air:these are the problems that Building for Social Responsibility, a Vermont-based non-profit organization, aims to combat. Through sensible and responsible building practices, the group claims, these problems and others can be curbed. Environmental Sciences senior Alex Feher, and Daniel Lim, a freshman Natural Resources major, are both interns at Building for Social Responsibility, and are committed to its vision.
Currently, Feher is researching the use of biodiesel fuel at construction sites, and lobbying for businesses to start utilizing it. According to BSR’s website, the group wishes to modify the standard operating procedure for building companies, since they are “directly linked to adverse environmental, social, or economic effects.” In order to achieve this goal, one of BSR’s main projects is Vermont Builds Greener (VBG). In accordance with this program, Building for Social Responsibility offers to certify buildings as “sustainable,”using a scorecard to determine the level of certification.
“Landscape with at least 75% of native species,” and “awnings or overhangs designed to reduce summer heat gain” are two of the features evaluated on BSR’s scorecard. When asked why he chose to intern with Building for Social Responsibility, Feher replied, “I’ve pretty much lived my whole life with one goal: to make as much of a positive impact in this world as I can.”
Lim has a similar view of the organization, and says he chose to intern with BSR because it takes a progressive stance on “sustainable design, community development, and ecologically-friendly construction methods.”
One of the unique characteristics of this organization is that it is focused primarily on residential development, partly because of the residential construction background of the founders, but also because very few other groups exist around the country addressing sustainability concerns for the residential market.
According to the group’s President,Tom Perry, the three big issues the organization is focused on for residential development are energy efficiency,occupant health, and environmental sustainability.
The group is holding a community forum on Tuesday, February 28th, at the Unitarian Universalist Church inMontpelier. The forum is on wind farm development and features several guest speakers. For more information about the organization, or to get involved, visit their website at http://www.bsr-vt.org.
