In the age of hybrid cars, organic food, and eco-everything reducing your carbon footprint seems to be the best way to show appreciation for planet Earth. Not only are individuals adapting to this cultural shift, but so are construction trends in the form of Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design… better recognized as LEED. 
LEED was unveiled as a brainchild of the U.S. Green Building Council in March 2000. Now there are more than 54,000 projects in 135 countries that are currently participating in LEED. There are five different project types:
- Building Design and Construction
- Interior Design and Construction
- Building Operations and Maintenance
- Neighborhood Development
- Homes
Each rating system is made up of a combination of credit categories. You can earn points on everything from number bike facilities to light pollution reduction to outdoor water use reduction. The points are then tallied up and broken into LEED designations: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. See diagram for corresponding point level breakdown. 
There is a total of 110 possible points. If you meet the criteria for the specific line item then you earn the points. For example, you can earn 1 point by providing outdoor space greater than or equal to 30% of the total site area. Or you can earn 2 points if 100% of your total energy is addressed by green power or rewable energy certificates. There are 9 categories you can earn points in:
- Integrative Process Credits
- Location & Transportation
- Sustainable Sites
- Water Efficiency
- Energy & Atmosphere
- Material & Resources
- Indoor Environmental Quality
- Innovation
- Regional Priority
Examples of points in each category include:
- Integrative process credits: the beginning pre-design stages proving LEED construction
- Location & Transportation: saving front parking spots for ‘green vichicles’ and providing bicylde storage facilities to encourage bike traffic
- Sustainable Sites: rainwater collection and heat island reduction by providing some type of nonroof measure, high-reflectance roof and vegetated roof.
- Water Efficiency: installing water metering systems to understand where to save and limit water consumption
- Energy & Atmosphere: reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the use of grid-source, renewable energy technologies and carbon mitigation projects
- Material & Resources: Storage and collection of recylables
- Indoor Environmental Quality: connect building occupants with the outdoors, reinforce circadian rhythms and reduce the use of electrical lighting by introducing natural daylight into the space.
- Innovation: encourage projects to achieve exceptional or innovative performance. Can also earn points by hiring a LEED Accredited Professional
- Regional Priority: points vary by the special demands of each region
