More Than a Pretty Face: Beth Galante

Q: And so worrying about whether it's a green building is not a priority.
A: Exactly. It's hard to advocate for a more thoughtful building process when the immediate response is to just throw something — anything — up. It's hard to explain that utility rates will continue to go through the roof because of poorly constructed, energy-inefficient buildings or that the quality is too poor to withstand the next hurricane. That's just not as compelling as, "My God, I need a house."

Q: Global Green is based in California. Don't they have their own issues to worry about?
A: New Orleans has become the poster child for so many things: arguably the first city affected by global warming; a reminder that our government is not prepared for disasters. And, as the largest rebuilding in U.S. history, hopefully it will be a model for how to successfully redo a city's infrastructure.

Q: What do you remember most about Katrina?
A: The chaos. My husband and I left on Sunday for a friend's house about an hour away. We had our car and cat — there wasn't much else we could take. I had a bad feeling about the storm. Saturday night before we evacuated, we went to one of our favorite oyster houses, walked around, and just looked at everything, thinking there was a chance it would only be a memory after that. I needed to go and say good-bye.

Go to globalgreen.org to learn how you can join Global Green USA and help stem global climate change through the creation of green buildings and cities.