About Green Building
Editor's note: Philip Proefrock, another new writer at Green Options, will be covering the exciting world of green building and architecture for us. We're happy to welcome Philip on board!
At some point in this decade, human history reached a unique milestone. For the first time, more than half of the world's population (and more than 80% of that in the United States) now lives in cities. We are an increasingly urbanized species, and our buildings are a huge part of the impact we have on the environment.
In the United States, it has been noted that buildings are responsible for nearly half of all energy consumption. More than manufacturing or transportation, buildings have the greatest impact on energy use. Consequently, buildings offer the greatest opportunities for improving performance and reducing energy use.
A "green" building means many different things to different people. Some may think of buildings that use only "natural" materials such as wood and earth, or a building that is not connected to external sources of electricity and gas and water. Others may find green-ness in buildings of glass and steel that use only minimal amounts of any materials. Programs such as LEED (which was discussed here earlier) set guidelines for architects, builders, and building owners who want to have green buildings. By that measure, a LEED-Platinum building is greener than a LEED-Silver one. But there are many steps that can be taken to make a greener building.
Green building is not an all-or-nothing affair. Nor are considerations of green building only applicable to new construction or extensive
remodeling. Any building can be improved. Small changes can, over time, pay back huge rewards. A simple change of a few incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescents will save hundreds of dollars in electricity cost over their life.
However, there are no simple, one-size-fits-all answers about green
building. Things that are important for every building in Minnesota might be totally out of place for a building in Arizona. Part of reducing the impact on the environment is knowing what the local environment is.
Green building is not about doing things for vague, fuzzy reasons or just to feel good. Green building is about making a building that is better for its inhabitants as well as those outside it. A green building is fundamentally a better building. It is better because it consumes less energy; it uses materials that are more durable so that they do not need to be replaced as often. A green building may sometimes cost a bit more than a comparable non-green building, but a green building will be less expensive to operate and maintain over its life.
