With all the green and sustainable building ideas, designs, and products that come into my inbox, this press release from Green Spirit Strategies, a sustainability communications consulting company, stuck out like a sore green thumb. I was sent this press release just after I returned from CleanMed, still on that “conference high” that, I can at least say for myself, rejuvenates the inner industry spirit.

The release is about Greenpeace cofounder and former leader Dr. Patrick Moore’s opinion that activist environmental groups are attempting to politicize the green building agenda—even in healthcare. I posted the release on the H2E listserv, thinking that I’d get some sort of response and opinions from the passionate polyvinyl-chloride-free posters there..but as of yet, nothing.

I’d like to know what you think. Are the green agendas of the “activist organizations” (other than Greenpeace, the release doesn’t name them for some reason) actually doing a disservice to the built environment, specifically healthcare environments, as mentioned in the below release?

Greenpeace co-founder speaks out against activist attempts to politicize green building agenda

May 22, 2008, Vancouver – Greenpeace co-founder and former leader Dr. Patrick Moore spoke out against attempts by activist environmental groups to politicize the green building agenda.

Addressing members of the National Association of Home Builders at their recent National Green Building Conference in New Orleans, Moore said, “Greenpeace is using the US Green Building Council’s LEED green building standard as a Trojan horse to deliver an activist agenda that is not in line with science or sustainability.”

“Ironically, many of the positions that Greenpeace and other activist organizations advocate run contrary to a sound green building approach and will likely do more harm than good,” said Moore, Chair and Chief Scientist at consulting firm Greenspirit Strategies Ltd.

“Greenpeace is opposed to the use of hydro power, nuclear energy, widely accepted sustainable forestry standards and vinyl products, to name but a few of the things they are opposed to,” said Moore.

“How ironic since nuclear and hydro are among the most sustainable of energy sources while wood and vinyl are among the most sustainable of building materials,” said Moore.

“These unscientific biases, fostered by activist groups, have found their way into the LEED standard,” said Moore.

“Healthcare is an important field where vinyl materials perform well because of their low cost and anti-bacterial qualities,” said Moore.

“In my opinion, banning vinyl from healthcare — as some activist organizations would have us do in the new LEED for Healthcare standard — runs contrary to everything I know about sustainability,” said Moore.

“A ban on affordable vinyl products might increase healthcare costs at a time when we can least afford it,” said Moore. “Such a ban might also have negative implications on hospital hygiene,” Moore said.

“We need to be practical and realistic,” said Moore.

“There are over six billion people on this planet, all of whom need food, energy, shelter and materials,” said Moore.

“By initiating campaigns against nuclear and hydro power, wood and vinyl, the Greenpeace agenda would have us deny people basic needs, and that runs completely contrary to true sustainability,” said Moore.

“One way to ensure LEED and other green building standards are not unduly influenced by the activist political agenda is to encourage rigorous competition among the various standards,” said Moore.

“No green building standard should have a monopoly on the market,” said Moore.

“Competition is important to ensuring high quality green building standards that are based on sound science and focused on sustainability,” said Moore.