Introduction to Green Building

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.

The industrial and now technological revolution has made our lives much more comfortable. These advances have turned us into a massive consumption society. With consumption comes waste, which is no impacting us as well.

On an indirect level, we have known about the costs of wastes for some time. While greenhouse gases are all the rage these days, we already have address our waste issues. From the ozone depletion issue to smog in our cities, the impact of our consumption has been apparent.

The world is currently heating up and we are seeing the results of this in many ways. The reduction of the ice caps is the most obvious. The slowing of the ocean conveyor is the most serious. Together, all of this comes under the mantle of global warming.

In the climate change debate, a key fact is often lost. There is no debate the planet is getting hotter. What is disputed is the cause of this heating up. Is this a natural phenomenon of some sort, perhaps a cyclical event or is it our waste that is 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.

Green building is a philosophy of building more efficient structures. Tied into this philosophy is the use of materials favorable to the environment. The philosophy is used on structures ranging from homes to skyscrapers 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.

From a design perspective, green construction philosophy involves incorporating renewable energy platforms. These can include solar panels to provide electricity, strategic plant placement to filter air and the use of opening windows instead of air conditioning.

Given its relative infancy, green building is somewhat of a vague catch term at this time. Nonetheless, it is still a step in the right direction. It represents the idea that we both recognize our wasteful habits and are prepared to deal with them.

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