The National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB). This ginormous trade association has the ear of just about every builder in the industry, from guys that build a couple of homes a year to those that build thousands and thousands.

At the International Builder's Show this year, they're launching a full scale National Green Building Program. The timing is interesting, considering that USBGC's LEED for Homes Program will also come out of pilot mode this year, but the significance of the NAHB's program bodes to be greater, in my book. Their reach is further, the program seems quite palatable, and the money behind the organization to promote and lobby for code change to incorporate the new standards is huge. According to an insider, the standards associated with the program are in the process of becoming ANSI certified, and will be able to be used as a "code plug in" within the next year, allowing states to adopt parts or all of the program as code.

Go, Go, NAHB. With the amount of lobbying dollars you have, you're bound to make a positive change if you point your guys in the right direction.

So what do you think? Is it good to have a trade association pushing a major green program? Or is it something that a third party organization like the USGBC should be behind for "impartiality"? Do you listen to the NAHB? What can this program provide that no other can?