Greenthink: How Profit Can Save The Planet - Softcover

Fedrizzi, Rick

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1633310051 ISBN 13: 9781633310056

Publisher: Disruption Books, 2015

Synopsis

“...a compelling history, a clear instruction manual, and most important, a convincing argument. By taking the principles that have made the green building movement so effective and extrapolating them to society at large, Rick offers a viable vision for saving the planet from humanity—and for saving humanity from itself.”
--Leonardo DiCaprio

Rick Fedrizzi is the most important environmentalist you’ve never heard of—and Greenthink is his manifesto.

A former Fortune 50 manufacturing executive, Fedrizzi became a leader of the modern environmental movement when he played an instrumental role in creating the most important and far-reaching sustainability movement of our time: the green building movement.

Today, Fedrizzi’s work and ideas are transforming the real estate industry, one of the largest sectors of the global economy, and one of the largest contributors to climate change. As a co-founder of the U.S. Green Building Council, Fedrizzi oversaw the creation of LEED—Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design—which has certified more than four billion square feet of sustainable real estate worldwide. According to Paul Hawken, a legendary environmentalist, “USGBC may have had a greater impact than any other single organization in the world on materials saved, toxins eliminated, greenhouse gases avoided, and human health enhanced.”

But that’s only half the story: the green building industry has also sparked billions of dollars of economic impact and created millions of jobs. This stunning revelation—that sustainability is profitable—is at the heart of Fedrizzi’s call to action in Greenthink.

For decades, environmentalists and the private sector have been at odds. Activists have decried the impact of industry on the environment. Business leaders, meanwhile, resent environmentalists for “job-killing regulations.” But in Greenthink, Fedrizzi turns conventional wisdom on its head by showing how profit can save the planet, and how sustainability is the biggest business opportunity of the 21st century.

With the urgency of Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth, the illuminating stories of Tom Friedman’s The Lexus and the Olive Tree, and the insight of Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point, Fedrizzi calls the reader’s attention to hidden yet fundamental truths about our environment, our society, and our economy. His message is as controversial as it is clear: leverage the profit motive to save the world—and its humans—from environmental catastrophe.

With a heartfelt foreword by actor and activist Leonardo DiCaprio, Greenthink is a must-read for anyone who cares about the future of our environment, or the future of our economy. Because, in Fedrizzi’s words, “they will share the same fate.”

About this title

Book Description:

A former Fortune 50 manufacturing executive, Rick Fedrizzi played an instrumental role in creating the most important and far-reaching sustainability movement of our time: the green building movement. Today, Fedrizzi’s work and ideas are transforming the real estate industry, one of the largest sectors of the global economy, and one of the largest contributors to climate change.

As a cofounder of the U.S. Green Building Council, Fedrizzi oversaw the creation of LEED—Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design—which has certified more than fourteen billion square feet of sustainable real estate worldwide. According to Paul Hawken, a legendary environmentalist, “USGBC may have had a greater impact than any other single organization in the world on materials saved, toxins eliminated, greenhouse gases avoided, and human health enhanced.”

But that’s only half the story: the green building industry has also sparked billions of dollars of economic impact and created millions of jobs. This stunning revelation—that sustainability is profitable—is at the heart of Fedrizzi’s call to action. Fedrizzi turns conventional wisdom on its head by showing how profit can save the planet, and how sustainability is the biggest business opportunity of the twenty-first century.

A must-read for anyone who cares about the future of our environment, or the future of our economy. Because, in Fedrizzi’s words, “they will share the same fate.”

From the Back Cover:

"LEED challenged the status-quothinking of architectural practice and laid the cornerstone for how ourprofession--and our buildings and communities--evolved these last two decades. Greenthink is quintessential Rick,and captures his optimism and boldness. Fearless and relentless in his passion,and with feet in both the business and environmental camps, his leadership hasbeen key to keeping all the stakeholders in the conversation to collaborate ourway to a much better future."
--Bob Berkebile, Principal, BNIM

"Environmentalismused to be a one-sided victory, but now it's a win-win. Businesses can do wellby doing good and Greenthink is animportant primer. Making money and protecting the planet not only aren'tincompatible, they fit perfectly together. Greenthinkexplains how."
--JeffBirnbaum, Journalist and Author of Showdownat Gucci Gulch and The Money Men
 

"Rick'spassion for a better future and his work in forming and elevating USGBC hasmade sustainability a baseline requirement for top quality real estate. Weshare this passion and believe that a sustainable approach to real estate makesgood business sense, helps the environment, and creates genuinely better placesfor people. Rick has proven his commitment to the green building community, and Greenthink is a testament to hisdedication. Required reading for anyone in real estate."
--GeraldHines, Founder and Chairman, Hines 

About this edition

• Publisher: Disruption Books
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1633310051
• ISBN 13: 9781633310056
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 230