Background

Global Environmental Options (GEO) is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization that was founded in 1994 by architect Margaret Howard as a result of her participation in the 1993 Greening of The White House Initiative.

The Greening of The White House was the first major gathering of the green building community around one project. One hundred experts from around the United States were selected to develop actual design and operations solutions to reduce energy and resource consumption in the White House and The Old Executive Office Building (OEOB). Experts included engineers, architects, scientists and planners who for the first time integrated their problem solving to maximize benefits including resource and cost savings.

GEO was created to continue to encourage and implement integrated Green Design on the Building and Community scale. Our projects have included The Greening of The National Parks, which we launched with the Greening of the Grand Canyon Charrette in 1994, and the first internet-based Green Building Database, now a part of NRDC’s on-line green building resources.

Most recently, GEO launched the NYC Green Schools Alliance (GSA) & Low-Carbon Schools Initiative on World Environment Day (June 5) 2007 to recognize and support the leadership role that schools—as “early adopter neighborhoods”--can play in solving the pressing problems of our times. This project will be launched nation-wide.