Given the fact we have been driving functional automobiles for only a little over 100 years, the last century has undoubtedly seen a major advancement in human life. That being said, such a rush of prosperity has come with drawbacks.
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.
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.
Global warming is not a disputed issue. The globe is clearly warming. What is disputed is the cause. Simply put, are we the cause of it? Has our consumption and the waste produced by it led us to this?
You may or may not believe emissions from our way of life is the cause of climate change. What is clear is that we not helping the problem at a minimum. This has resulted in many areas with an effort to find solutions to the problem. Green construction is one such solution.
Just what is green building? Is it some hippie concept? Nope. It is the idea of building efficient energy structures while minimizing environmental impact. This can be for housing or large building such as The Solaire in New York City.
Efficiency is about low energy control. Many green buildings filter their air through plant life. They recycle their water. They use recycled materials for building elements from newspapers for insulation to steel from demolished structures.
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.
Green building is ultimately about maturity. As we come to realize our impact on the planet, we must take action to minimize the negative effects. Green building is one method for doing so.
