Green building reduces the impact building has on the environment and on the health of those involved. Current building methods rely too heavily on water use, gas emissions, electricity consumption and waste output. Besides harming the environment, these things are expensive. In order to decrease costs and to be good stewards of the earth, the Natural Stone Council has invested a lot of time to understand how to best represent the stone industry in green building practices, and has recently come to the table to actively participate in these discussions.

The Natural Stone Council aims to further position Genuine Stone as the preferred sustainable building material by:

• Using the five key LEED rating system categories as a guide to research, test, and substantiate that stone is a natural choice in building green
• Working with an advisory council made up of leading green architects, designers, and specification writers with intimate knowledge of Genuine Stone and its uses in building and landscaping
• Promoting Genuine Stone use through media outreach

Because sustainable building affects our earth, our air, and our environment, we can do our part to build responsibly. This includes fabricators and quarries reducing energy use, recycling materials, and developing products from waste materials.

Quarry reclamation is another way quarries show dedication to being green. This practice consists of turning the used extraction site into an environmentally friendly area by restoring trees, grasses and other plants to create a suitable wildlife habitat.

As an architect or builder, choosing to work with fabricators and quarries operating in an environmentally conscientious manner, will make a major difference in being good stewards of the earth.