* What is Green Building? * How is Green Building different than industry standard building? * Is Green Building more expensive than conventional? * What is the difference between Green and Sustainable? * What is embodied energy? * What is ecovation? * How is ecovating different from renovating? * What is a carbon footprint? * What is carbon offsetting? * How can I reduce my carbon footprint? * What are VOC's? * What is off-gassing? What is Green Building? "Green building is the practice of increasing the efficiency with which buildings use resources — energy, water, and materials — while reducing building impacts on human health and the environment during the building's lifecycle, through better siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal" green building at www.wikipedia.org How is Green Building different than industry standard building? Standard building practices today address structural necessity, and plan for basic energy and water efficiency. Buildings must be safe and secure. This is often where guidelines end- environmentally and ecologically this sets the bar low. Conventional design and build companies often fail to understand the relationships between the different systems in a building, which often results in wasted energy. Material and product selection, building methods, and operating efficiencies do not hold as much importance with many builders as long as current building code standards are met. Current standards on lower end or development housing often result in relatively short lived, resource inefficient buildings with poor indoor air quality. When these buildings are demolished, many nasty building materials that cannot be reused will be hauled off to landfill. Thus, the entire process and life cycle tends to be somewhat wasteful and inefficient. Green building standards on the other hand not only address the common structural issues, but hold increasingly greater expectations for resource and material efficiency. These expectations are upheld in the construction process, throughout the structure's operating life cycle and into its decommissioning. Through strategic planning and inter-disciplinary approach, systems are integrated to work together in order to achieve high efficiencies. Among other aspects, it focuses on enhanced indoor air quality, and human health- two issues which to date have taken a backseat in conventional methods. Is Green Building more expensive than conventional? Though a premium expense might be incurred on some materials and for some processes, green building does not have to be more expensive than conventional. The factors which govern this are location, design and site specific. When any additional first cost is incurred, it is commonly offset in a relatively short period of time by lower operational expenses and energy savings. What is the difference between Green and Sustainable?Back To Top When something is given the designation green, it is different than the designation sustainable. They are not the same thing,   even though they are widely and incorrectly used interchangeably. Green, is really a comparison of something that is already existing or established. In this way, something can be 'greener' than something else. For example, riding a bicycle is greener than driving a car, which is greener than driving a truck. Always approach products and services that have designated themselves 'green' with scrutiny- there are many companies and individuals out there who are looking to capitalize on your concern for the environment. Make sure that they are approved by respected and industry-wide standards. Sustainable is something very different. It is a state or a process. Something is either sustainable, or it isn't- there is no in-between. Depleting natural resources that cannot be replaced is an unsustainable process. For example, the oil and gas industry- these resources are aggressively being depleted, and will eventually be exhausted. Renewable energies such as wind and solar are abundant and non-depleting yet remain practically unharnessed- a sustainable form of energy. A good example of a sustainable building, would be a thatched roof straw bale house; the house is built from a rapidly renewable resource (a local, agricultural waste product), which is highly insulative. Materials are local and natural. At the end of its life-cycle, the building will simply bio-degrade. Sustainability is about resourcefulness, foresight, choosing wisely, and curbing consumption. What is embodied energy?Back To Top The subject of embodied energy has sparked great debate amongst scientists and environmentalists. A simple definition of embodied energy: The amount of energy consumed by the manufacturing, shipping, distribution, and disposal of a material substance. Embodied energy manifests itself as greenhouse gasses which are a significant cause of the global climate crisis. One can demonstrate the idea of embodied energy through comparing two identical food items- strawberries for instance. Let's say you want to go grocery shopping, and you live in Toronto, Canada. Strawberry A is a product of Ontario, Canada. Strawberry B, the same strain of strawberry, comes from Mexico. Though they are the exact same strawberry, B has a higher embodied energy than A, because it must travel from Mexico to get to your supermarket instead of from somewhere in Ontario. To give a building example, let's consider slate- a common building material. Imported Italian slate has a significantly higher embodied energy than local slate. It is very heavy, and has been shipped all the way from Italy to your local supplier. It may look slightly nicer, but whether was it worth the CO2 emissions is questionable. Sometimes a green product no is no longer green if it is shipped from afar. When contemplating the embodied energy of a product, consider questions like: * Where was it produced? (Distance traveled) * How was it shipped? (some types of transport are more energy efficient than others) * How heavy is it? (Shipping greater mass requires greater energy) * What is it made of? (some materials are very energy intensive to produce) * How long will it last? (Is it durable, or will it soon break and have to be replaced?) * Can it be refurbished? (Can it be re-used by someone else?) * Can it be recycled? (Can you salvage part or all of the resource?) Weighing the different factors will allow you to make an informed choice. What is ecovation?Back To Top Ecovation is an ecologically sensitive renovation, that uses the principles of sustainabilty and green building to rejuvenate existing structures. How is ecovating different from renovating?Back To Top Ecovating is a holistic approach to renovation, mandated by principles of sustainability and green building. The scope of ecovation is much broader than renovation, though the final product may appear to be the similar. What is a carbon footprint?Back To Top A carbon footprint is a measurement of human activity's effect on the environment through carbon dioxide emissions. One's lifestyle, consumption habits, mode of transportation, and other aspects of activity all contribute to one's carbon footprint. Carbon footprints are calculated in units of carbon dioxide. What is carbon offsetting?Back To Top By calculating one's carbon footprint, it is possible to balance these emissions by investing in clean energies through carbon offset programs. When one buys carbon offsets, organizations use the proceeds to fund the advancement of green infrastructure, such as renewable energies. These projects result in a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, which in turn offset the carbon footprint of the participant. In this way it is possible to have a CO2 balanced lifestyle, business, etc. How can I reduce my carbon footprint?Back To Top There are many ways to reduce one's carbon footprint. Here are just a few... * Reduce, re-use, recycle * Think about your consumption habits, and all the ways you directly or indirectly consume fossil fuels. Consider the embodied energy involved in your choices. Make alterations or reductions where possible. Focus also on energy and water savings. * Switch to an Environmental Choice EcoLogo certified renewable energy carrier to buy your electricity. All it takes is a phonecall to switch to clean energy. * When you are thinking about buying something, consider whether you really need it or not. Avoid impulse buying. Curb consumerism for the sake of consumerism. Buy durable goods- ones that will not have to be replaced for a long time. * Buy products that can be re-used, or even better, have multiple uses. * Drive less- your car burns great amounts of fossil fuels. Consider carbon offsetting your vehicle's emissions.   Ride a bike, or take public transportation and fly only when you need to. In the kitchen... * Buy local produce- organic is even better * Don't eat beef- cattle produce unbelievable amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas which packs 20 times the effects of   carbon dioxide on the atmosphere per unit. There are over a billion of them on the planet... * Grow your own food- start a vegetable garden * Don't use aluminum foil or plastic wrap to store food- there are alternatives (old food containers etc.) * Invest in new energystar rated appliances * Wash the dishes by hand conservatively- dishwashers are power hungry. Don't let the tap run freely during the process. * Don't waste water- municipal water is very energy taxing on both ends of treatment. The process also requires heavy   chemicals which contaminate local ecosystems. Consider a composting toilet. * Wash your hands with cold water-   save the energy it takes to heat the water, as well as the water that flows preceeding the warm water. Around the house... * Change your lightbulbs from incandescent to CFL or LED * Turn off the lights when you leave a room * Turn off any appliances when you leave the room * Unplug electrical items when not in use * Use a clothesline to dry your clothes- dryers are power hungry are wear out clothing * Invest in new energystar rated appliances * Don't use electric heaters- heating by electricity is very inefficient * Decommission old refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioners. Not only do many contain harmful CFC refrigerants,   they are also energy hogs * Avoid watering your lawn. Consider planting heartier varieties of grass and plants that are native to your geographical location What are VOC's?Back To Top VOC is an acronym for Volatile Organic Compounds. These chemicals are present in many common building supplies such as paint, carpet backing, wood preservatives, and plastics. They are prone to vapourization and contribute to 'sick building syndrome',   a plethora of occupant ailments caused by poor indoor air quality. What is Off-gassing?Back To Top Simply defined, off-gassing (also known as out-gassing) is the term used to describe the slow release of a gas that has been trapped inside a material.