On Oct. 8, a class-action lawsuit was filed against the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) by the lawyers of mechanical systems designers Henry Gifford, owner of heating retrofit company Gifford Fuel Saving in New York. The suit targets USGBC’s LEED rating systems and alleges that the organization mislead the public regarding the energy saved by LEED-certified buildings and has established a monopoly on green building standards. BuildingGreen.com‘s Environmental Building News posted a very thorough article online about the suit on Oct. 14.
Much debate has been swirling around the Web about the legitimacy of Gifford’s claims against the USGBC, with supporters on both sides of the argument voicing their opinions. Read some of the chat and pay particular attention to the many insightful comments from pros: