Guest Contributor Brad Wyche is the executive director of Upstate Forever.
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In the quick sound-bite, us-versus-them world in which we now live, a widely held belief has arisen: Protecting the environment is bad for the economy. But that’s a myth. We can have it both ways – environmental protection and economic prosperity.
There are many examples proving the point. Here are just five:
Green buildings reduce operating costs and increase employee productivity.
Over the last 10 years we have witnessed an exciting increase in the number of buildings (new and renovated) that meet well-accepted green standards, such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and EarthCraft. These buildings use 30 to 70 percent less energy, sell and lease faster and at higher prices and rates, reduce employee absenteeism by over 15 percent and improve employee productivity by over 6 percent because they are such nice and healthy places to work. Think of the huge positive impact of those percentages on a company’s bottom line.
At Upstate Forever’s LEED Platinum office in Greenville, we use 80 percent less energy than the same building, traditionally designed and constructed, would consume. So these savings translate directly into more funding for our work. By the way, all UBJ readers are cordially invited to visit our office at 507 Pettigru St. and see the amazing array of energy-efficient and environmentally friendly technologies and features. I’m sure you’ll be inspired to use some of them in your own office or home. So you’ll save money while helping keep our air and water clean.
Parks, natural areas, greenways and trails increase property values and business profits.
Numerous studies show that properties adjoining or in close proximity to parks and natural areas are worth more and appreciate in value faster than comparable properties located farther away. The reason is obvious: Most people are willing to pay more to live next to green space.
In addition, trails and greenways increase property values and profits for trailside businesses. We have a great example of this right in our backyard: the spectacularly successful Greenville Health System Swamp Rabbit Trail. The SRT had over 400,000 users in only its second year of operation and has attracted several new businesses focused on serving these users. Trailside businesses reported an amazing average increase of 47 percent in sales from the first to second year of the SRT’s operation. Travelers Rest, reinvigorated and transformed by the SRT, now boasts: “TR Means Trail.”
The Three R’s – reduce, reuse and recycle – improve the bottom line.
You can save lots of money by reducing what you buy, reusing what you already have and recycling what you no longer need – a strategy known in short as the “Three R’s.” It’s a classic win-win that avoids pollution from expanded and new landfills and incinerators and lowers purchasing and disposal costs for individuals and companies. Again we have great examples right here in the Upstate. BMW uses methane gas from the Palmetto landfill to supply most of the power for its Greer plant, and Milliken recycles 98 percent of all its waste and has reduced the use of chemicals by 88 percent over the last 10 years.
An encouraging sign is that the recycling industry in South Carolina is booming. Since 2006 this industry has invested $4 billion in the state, providing 21,000 jobs. Recycling activities in 2012 alone represented the equivalent of conserving 325 million gallons of gasoline and 12,000 rail cars of coal.
Conservation-oriented development reduces infrastructure costs and increases profits.
In the Upstate, with the population increasing at the rate of 42 people every day, continued development is inevitable. But by using conservation principles in designing projects, developers can reduce both environmental impacts and infrastructure costs. A study in South Carolina evaluated the economic and environmental costs of two different residential subdivision designs very similar to those shown below; both accommodated the same number of houses.
The study concluded that the traditional design in which almost the entire tract is developed produced 43 percent more runoff, 60 percent more chemical pollution and three times more sediment, and it cost twice as much to build – in short, more adverse impacts on both the environment and the developer’s pocketbook.
Quality of life and economic development are inextricably linked.
Essential elements of a high quality of life include vibrant communities, clean air, clean water, and plenty of green space. Companies in search of new locations and workers in search of new jobs will avoid places with a poor or declining quality of life.
Sadly, the Upstate’s quality of life is gravely threatened by poorly planned growth that is consuming the region with spread-out developments and massive seas of asphalt. According to a Clemson University study, our region lost over 700,000 acres of its forest cover from 1992 to 2010 – the equivalent of Greenville and Cherokee Counties combined. (Replanted areas aren’t included in this figure).
But the good news is that there are proven policies, programs and incentives that can manage growth effectively and keep our air and water clean and our quality of life high. All that is needed is the political will, mainly at the County Council level, to adopt and implement them.
I can think of no better way to conclude than to quote the great Ray Anderson, former chairman of Interface Carpet and one of the pioneers of the sustainability movement: “You can do well by doing good.”
