Green building consultant, author, and thought leader,
Jerry Yudelson has written a major new book that underscores the significance and social importance of urban water conservation and what can be done to prevent potential disasters. The book,
Dry Run: Preventing the Next Urban Water Crisis is available now at
New Society Publishers.
Dry Run makes a persuasive case that urban water crises can be prevented, at the same time saving significant amounts of energy and contributing to a reduction in air pollution and global warming-related greenhouse gas emissions. A quick overview of the book is provided by a 90-second video “trailer” which can be viewed via YouTube: Dry Run Video
Yudelson says, “Blue is the New Green.“ In other words, now that the business case for green buildings has become well established, he says, “the next major focus of the green building movement will be to improve the water performance of green-rated and green-labeled buildings.”
Because of the business benefits of green building and the potential for major reductions in carbon dioxide emissions from buildings, Yudelson says, “We have to demand superior water performance from all green buildings, especially those with high-level certifications.” In the book, Yudelson also provides practical guidance for public decision-makers, citing effective strategies from a wide range of cities, counties and metropolitan areas, both in the United States and Australia.
Dry Run provides a history of water use in cities, innovative case studies of the responses of seven U.S. regions to water shortages in the past five years and shows what has happened in Australia as a result of a long-term drought, unprecedented in that country’s history. The book addresses design solutions available to commercial buildings as well as homes and illuminates how water issues connect to environmental sustainability. Yudelson also shows how water use and energy use are inextricably intertwined. He says, “You can’t solve energy issues without addressing water issues, and vice versa. They are Siamese twins, forever joined at the hip.”
“For the past decade, green building designers have focused heavily on energy efficiency,” says Yudelson, “but now it’s time to address water issues with the same level of intensity and concern. In this book, I show a wide range of innovative solutions that are practical today, solutions that can easily reduce water use 50 percent of more in most new buildings and 30 percent or more in existing buildings.”