Michael Green

The fourth International Conference on New Horizons in Green Civil Engineering at the University of Victoria brought architects, engineers and researchers together for a series of presentations about green building materials and techniques. The goal: to identify ways to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions the built-environment industry generates. …“History shows that reducing carbon emissions or reducing energy consumption is not an easy task. For generations, we have ignored it. We have to work very hard because there is no second choice,” said Phalguni Mukhopadhyaya, the conference’s organizer and a UVic civil engineering professor. Vancouver-based architect Michael Green, who delivered the conference’s keynote speech on Aug. 28, said the industry isn’t adapting quickly enough to meet this challenge. “We are the folks who can make a difference in the world,” he said, “but we have to change our mindset.” Many of the presenters echoed Green’s sentiments.