Green Building: The Basics

As the world changes, we are starting to give some thought to the impact we as a society are making on the world. One development from this is the concept of green building.

Beginning with the industrial revolution, we started to consume massive amounts of natural resources. A byproduct of such consumption, of course, is waste. The more we use, the more we produce.

The idea that our way of life may be bad for both the planet and ourselves is not new. Although climate change is a big issue now, we have been confronted with the problem before. From toxic rivers to overwhelming smog problems, we know of the issues with waste.

Such problems, however, pale in comparison to what we are seeing today. Instead of impacting small geographic areas, our entire planet seems to be at risk. The future looks threatening given global change.

As you know, there is a great debate about climate change. Many people think it is over whether climate change exists. This is incorrect. The question is the cause of the heating of the planet. As the ice caps melt, the question is whether we are the cause.

A large part of the cause seems to be the wastes created by our way of life. Confronted with this fact, finding a solution seems the answer. The problem, of course, is the answer is vague and very expensive. Small steps such as green building seem prudent.

Mention the term green and one tends to get images of people hugging trees and such. In truth, this is not the case. It simply refers to a more efficient way to build and use structures from simple residences to skyscrapers like the Hearst Towers in New York City.

From an efficiency standpoint, green building is about harmonizing a structure with its environment. Construction materials tend to be recycled and/or environment neutral. They can be the materials from a building demolished or recycled newspaper for insulation, for example.

The design will also take advantage of the environment. The positioning of the structure may be used to incorporate passive solar heating from the sun. To cool the structure, windows that may be opened will be used in lieu of air conditioning.

There is little argument that green building is a new concept and thus still struggling to become a standard. That being said, the fact that individual and large businesses are looking to it is a good sign. Perhaps we are turning a corner.