Building support for climate action depends on linking it to health, economic benefits

Generating public support for climate action may require more extensive education about the health and economic benefits, according to a report from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The report, “Standard Issue Volume II,” surveyed 1,850 adults across the U.S., and found that while most people believe environmental problems are important, they do not believe the issues are significant enough to make action a priority. The report also discusses steps that could mobilize more public support and provides tools to help motivate people to get involved.

Respondents were asked to rate how important environmental problems were to them, and 82% said that they believe environmental problems are very or somewhat important, an increase of eight percentage points in the six months since USGBC began conducting the research. However, the report found that of those, only 49% believe that environmental problems are very important, while 33% say they are somewhat important.

Just over 60% said they were most passionate about protecting the health of their family and friends. Yet, 39% of respondents said they have never considered or don’t know the impact buildings have on the environment and their health.

New York City has two very large buildings dedicated to answering the 911 calls of its five boroughs. With more than 11 million emergency calls annually, it makes perfect sense. The second of these buildings, the Public Safety Answering Center II (PSAC II) is located on a nine-acre parcel of land in the Bronx. It’s an imposing 450,000 square-foot structure—a 240-foot-wide by 240-foot-tall cube. The gleaming aluminum cube risesthe equivalent of 24 stories from behind a grassy berm, projecting the unlikely impression that it might actually be floating. Like most visually striking structures, the building has drawn as much scorn as it has admiration.