Following the money in going 'green'.

• Author: Rundles, Jeff
• Position: Column

Like many Americans of a certain age, I was surprised at how mesmerized I was with all the coverage of the passing of President Gerald Ford. I watched everything on television I could find, from all the history right up to all the solemn rites. I always liked Gerald Ford, and I will always be among those who believe his presidency saved the republic.

But amid all the nostalgia that came rushing forward, it was a statistic reported during the coverage that struck me the most: Gerald Ford, president of the United States from August, 1974 to January, 1977, governed just slightly more than 210 million Americans. The country is nearly half again as large today, with the population just recently estimated to have topped 310 million.

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I thought a lot about the obvious changes, of course, but also about the impact. In 1974 we talked a lot about energy dependence, and we were then on the verge of an environmental awakening. But now, even if we were zealous environmentalists, the sheer increase in people alone would make us copious consumers, and our rate of growth only increases. In the 1970s we thought we had an energy crisis. Oh, for the good old days.

We can all begin to see a real attitude adjustment coming in some areas. I write a lot about cars, and it is clear over the past few years that people are demanding more and more "green" applications in their automobiles: Hybrids are in high demand, but so too are all manner of cars with higher gas mileage. Recycling bins are everywhere, water conservation (in Denver at least) has been hailed, and there seems to be an effort to pay more for "greener" products with biodegradable and recycled packaging.

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I have come to understand recently, though, that we are miles behind on the arena that uses the most energy and contributes the most pollution: our buildings, especially our commercial buildings. There is, however, a growing Green Building effort going on in this country, and it's something that we, as businesspeople, should begin to embrace.

I am not so naive as to believe that a "green" movement is moving forward in any arena because, suddenly, people are having pangs of conscience. Like most anything else, if you follow the money you'll find the reason.

In the Green Building movement, which is gaining credence in Colorado and across the country, cost of operation is at the heart of the interest. Oh, yes, many companies are aiming for some PR value in...