Illinois Ranks High For Green Buildings
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Illinois is ranking high for its efforts to make its buildings environmentally friendly.
As CBS 2's Kris Habermehl reports, Kermit the Frog might have proclaimed decades ago that "It's Not Easy Being Green," but in Illinois and specifically in Chicago, they seem to have mastered the art.
Illinois ranks at No. 8 nationally for the most green buildings per capita, according to the U.S. Green Building Council, which released its list on Wednesday.
The council said Illinois has a total of 3.09 square feet of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) -certified buildings per capita.
Ranking ahead of Illinois are the District of Columbia, Nevada, New Mexico, New Hampshire, Oregon, South Carolina, and Washington state.
The Green Building Council singled out the Parc Huron luxury rental apartment building at 469 W. Huron St. as a notable project that is newly LEED-certified.
Among the city's other green buildings is City Hall, which features a rooftop garden composed of 20,000 plants of more than 100 species.
Solar heating, natural cooling and other factors are also considered for LEED certification.
