WEBBING continued

I checked out the website greenbuildingadvisor.com and learned a lot about wall systems.  Exterior walls need to support the floors, walls, and roof, but they also protect the inside of your home.  Wood frame walls are the most used form of exterior wall and according to the Green Building Advisor masonry walls are way behind in the choice of home builders (my guess is because of the $). Even though we can't see inside our walls the products we choose will be a part of the house as long as its there and a part of our lives as long as we live there.
I keep seeing the acronym LEED. What does LEED mean?  It stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.  This is a residential green building program.
I decide to do a little more research so I can understand all these acronyms that are floating around.  I go to the website USGBC.org which stands for U.S. Green Building Council.  This nonprofit organization offers certification, workshops, reference guides, green building research, and newsletters.  LEED certifications shows that the building was built in a way that follows the sustainable green building practices required to be LEED certified.
LEED has certification fro neighborhood development, commercial interiors, core and shell, new construction, schools, health care, and retail.  Pretty cool huh?  USGBC offers a book this a LEED for homes reference guide.  This book is $100.00.  I don't think I'm going to buy this now.  There is a FAQ for homeowners--http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=3912.  Oh by the way don't think all this certification stuff is free!  $300 for non-members and $225 for members to have their home LEED certified.  This website also has a checklist, but I can't open it on my computer.  All of this information is great, but I want to read about products and prices.  There is a lot of information, but to me its a little haphazard.  I guess that is why most people use an experienced contractor.