Environment-Conscious Business

It's certain that Giant Eagle Inc. is proud to have one of its stores granted the distinction of being the first "green building" grocery in the United States according to the U.S. Green Building Council. They apparently have considerable reason to be proud since just about any group with an opinion on the subject has weighed in with words of worship. In a Google search, I found over 1,000 different citations of articles by business, environmental, and media entities lauding praise on Giant Eagle, but, oddly, not one analysis of the cost. The positive gut reaction that people have to environmentally-conscious design and construction is understandable, however, it seems premature. Before the added cost of being a "green building" is amortized and factored into the profit-loss accounting, it's difficult to assess whether a prudent business decision was made. Being "green" while being profitable is praiseworthy but not always achievable. I'll personally remain skeptical until the actual profitability data are analyzed.