The University of Iowa College of Public Health celebrated the LEED Platinum certification of the CPH Building on April 4 with the unveiling of the LEED medalion, special guests, and a reception.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification is the highest standard for green design. The College of Public Health Building is the first academic building on campus to earn the designation.

Guest speakers included Barry Butler, UI provost; Rod Lehnertz, director of planning, design, and construction at UI Facilities Management; and James Balog, National Geographic photographer and founder of the Extreme Ice Survey.

Balog spoke about his photographic work documenting the rapid disappearance of glacial ice due to climate change. He mentioned an article he read that morning about outdoor air pollution contributing to 1.2 million premature deaths in China in 2010.

“The connection between climate change and public health really clicked for me when I read that,” he said. “Climage change is affecting the very air we breathe.” Later that evening, Balog delivered a University-wide lecture to a full house detailing his work process and findings.

The LEED medallion, which will be displayed in the atrium of the CPH Building, is “a sign of our commitment to innovate and adopt best practices to make our college and university the most responsible stewards of all our resources, and to be champions for that ethic in all that we do,” said Dean Sue Curry.