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Green Home
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Green Home is the do-it-yourself application of sustainable principles to your dwelling, attempting to not only improve the quality of life of residents, but also minimize the net impact of the built environment on natural systems. Green homes are constructed with non-toxic, local, and recycled materials, at a site selected proximal to public transportation and place of work. Various other design features and strategies are also integrated into home construction and landscape, to promote electrical efficiency, water efficiency, waste reduction, and improved indoor environmental quality. Outside of infrastructure, a truly green home must also incorporate the sustainable, ecologically-conscious lifestyle practices of its residents. The benefits of a green home are extensive. Health benefits including enhanced lung function, sleep quality, and work-related performance are directly correlated to improved air quality and the use of natural lighting. Nationwide, the United States could realize $40 billion in productivity gains from reducing building-related illness (1*). The monetary benefits of a green home accumulate through various state and federal tax incentive programs, reduced energy and water costs, and substantial reductions in upkeep expenses. Commitments to ecological activism aside, the economic value-added of a green home would repay the upfront costs of implementation in only a few years. Normative and ethical arguments inspire the principled obligation of individuals to minimize their carbon footprint on the biotic community. Incorporating even a few of the following sustainable features into your home will significantly diminish your personal impact on the environment. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle The mantra reduce, reuse, recycle connotes a dedication to minimizing waste production and inefficient resource use. The three R’s also represent tangible, hierarchical steps towards making your green home a closed-loop, zero-waste system. Reduce entails buying and using less disposable items. Whenever possible, avoid single-use purchases and items with excessive packaging. Always choose durable products over their disposable counterparts, and buy in bulk whenever it is feasible. Also, opt out of junk mail by calling the toll-free number, and opt in to electronic bills. Reuse involves always using reusable products instead of their single-use equivalents. This category is especially relevant to cups, food storage containers, shopping bags, plates, utensils, napkins, and batteries—all of which have durable or rechargeable alternatives. Also, virtually every cleaning supply can be easily made, both avoiding the introduction of toxic chemicals into your home and the excess waste production that a myriad of different supplies creates, by utilizing basic household items such as baking soda, borax, cornstarch, lemon juice, salt, washing soda, and white vinegar (all available at most local grocery stores). Recycling is the least preferred method when the two former are not practical. Although zero-waste production is the ultimate goal, diminishing the excretions of your household and its inhabitants can be accomplished by (1) recycling everything that is recyclable, (2) composting everything that is compostable, and (3) only discarding that which does not fit in the first two categories. Normal municipal recyclable materials include: paper, plastic, aluminum, cardboard, and glass. Special recycling exists for electronics and batteries. Compostable materials include: yard waste, grass clippings, organic kitchen scraps, coffee grounds, tea bags, herbivoric animal manure, cardboard, paper, saw dust, and wood shavings. Having a separate ‘landfill’ container, and always being conscious of what is going in it, is the last option, when all else fails. Design and Construction Site Selection and Building Orientation Site selection for your green home should be based upon several factors: * A city designed for people, not cars * Proximity to public transit and existing infrastructure * Proximity to necessary food, amenity, and service outlets * Proximity to work and school * Existence of nearby parks and natural, open spaces * Avoidance of contributing to urban sprawl—an unsustainable, municipal development trend Building orientation incorporates passive design techniques to exploit natural heating, cooling, and lighting for your green home. Strategically placed windows and open spaces can create naturally-flowing cross ventilation throughout the home. Further, by placing the building along the East-West axis, natural light can be optimized by: (1) increasing light exposure during the winter when the sun follows a more arced path, and (2) limiting sunlight and heat during the summer when the sun is directly overhead. Materials Since the construction of buildings worldwide accounts for 40 percent of all materials use (2*), and the earth holds a finite amount of constructible resources, the efficient utilization of materials is a significant factor in reducing your green home’s net environmental impact. Reducing material use in your green home has many green benefits including: (1) minimizing resource consumption, (2) limiting fossil fuel combustion associated with materials transportation, and (3) creating less post-use demolition waste. Materials for your home should be: * Non-toxic * Locally-produced * Ethically-obtained (social responsibility) * Pre-Cycled * Durable and long-lasting * Rapidly renewable * Salvaged or reused materials—important because 1/3 of total solid waste in landfills in the United States is a product of construction and demolition wastes (3*) For health reasons, certain materials should also be avoided when outfitting your home. Materials and products containing the following should be avoided: volatile organic compounds (VOCs), radon, carcinogens, asbestos, in-home combustion pollutants, lead, formaldehyde, and chromate coper arsenic (CCA). These various substances appear in a variety of home products including treated wood, sealants, adherents, paint, carpeting, insulation, and coatings. Electrical and Water Efficiency Electrical Efficiency Through the incorporation of a variety of efficient technologies and practices, green homes can significantly reduce their electricity usage. Accounting for over 70 percent of electricity use and just under 40 percent of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States (2*), inefficient buildings are a considerable burden on the environment. If unsure of the current energy-efficiency of your home, schedule an energy audit with a professional who will systematically enumerate the necessary changes to make your home green. The following are easy practices, design options, and home technologies to limit your electrical usage: * Use of natural daylighting—atriums, skylights, large windows, reflective indoor white paint * Replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs)—which use 75 percent less electricity and last 10 times as long, or light emitting diodes (LEDs)—which use 85 percent less electricity and last 50 times as long (4*) * Use of motion-sensing lighting system * Installation of energy efficient appliances such as EnergyStar certified products * Unplugging appliances when not in use—5 percent of United States residential electrical usage is wasted by appliances on standby (5*) * Utilization of various heating and cooling alternatives—rooftop space heater, rooftop solar heat collectors, ground source water heater, natural cross ventilation, deciduous trees which dually create shade in the summer and a cooling micro-climatic effect in the winter * Weatherization of the home—installing high performance windows, insulation, weatherstripping, plugging air leaks around windows, doors, and fixtures Water Efficiency Increasing demand caused by an expanding global population, matched with an ever-diminishing supply as the world’s water tables continue to fall, are collectively creating inevitable upward pressure on the price of water. As this trend continues, the “flush and forget” mindset that inundates our culture must be transformed. Minimizing water consumption dually saves by reducing water costs and the electrical costs involved with its transportation, and can be accomplished by: * Installing low-flow showerheads, faucets, toilets, dishwashers, and washing machines * Using a composting toilet—an odorless, waterless, fertilizer-producing excretion disposal system * Capturing rain water and channeling it through gutters into a cistern for lawn irrigation Electricity generated by coal, oil, and natural gas produces greenhouse gas emissions, as organic carbon molecules are combusted with oxygen. Renewable sources of energy harness the natural forces of biotic systems and processes—examples include wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, and hydropower. Your green home can be converted into a localized renewable energy production center through the installation of solar photovoltaic cells. During high-demand periods, excess or unused energy can be channeled back into the electrical grid system, providing additional income. Landscape and Gardening Traditional Landscaping Traditional landscaping produces a wide range of devastating effects on the environment, including air, noise, and water pollution, harm to biodiversity, unsustainable consumption of natural resources (namely water), flood damage, erosion, intensive labor, and superfluous high costs (6*). * On average, one acre of lawn costs between $400 and $700 to maintain. * Originally used as ornamental plants, many invasive species used in landscaping take over native plants and damage natural systems, such as kudzu in the Southeastern United States. * Homeowners use, on average, 67 million pounds of pesticides per year on their lawns. Worldwide this makes approximately three million people sick and millions of birds are also poisoned. * Nitrogen rich fertilizers also seep into the ground and pollute groundwater. * Grass requires a lot of maintenance in the form of mowing, which contributes to noise pollution. One hour of lawn mowing uses enough gas to drive 20 miles in an automobile. An average of 55 tons of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted daily from lawn mowing. VOCs are a major contributor to greenhouse gasses. In order to achieve more sustainable landscaping, one must limit the use of pesticides, fertilizers, exotic plants, and water resources. These minimized practices will reduce pollution, conserve water and contribute to more healthy natural ecological systems. The key in sustainable landscaping involves a design that reflects the location of the home by using a variety native plants, shrubs, trees and flowers that are suited to the local climate and precipitation levels. In turn, maintenance will be much easier because native plants are adapted to thrive in the existing conditions. Other components of sustainable landscaping include: * Watering at night as to prevent evaporation * Rainwater harvesting in cisterns to provide water for the lawn and plants * Rain gardens and bioswales * Using recycled materials such as composite wood and old tires landscaping material * Using permeable paving materials * Using compost from household food waste * A vegetated or green roof to reduce stormwater runoff and potentially offset the need for a retention pond * Organic vegetable gardens with seasonal and regional plants * Herb gardens * Backyard or urban chickens * Indoor plants to improve air quality Xeriscaping The landscape design practice of limiting water consumption in landscaping is called xeriscaping (7*). The components of xeriscaping include: * Planting seasonally * Choosing a diverse assortment of native plants * Choosing long living plants, like perennials * Planting numerous plants * Mulching to minimize evaporation * Efficient irrigation systems Sustainable landscaping has numerous benefits, including: * Decreased water consumption * Decreased stormwater runoff and soil erosion * Decreased use of pesticides and fertilizers. This also aids in preventing the eutrophication of surrounding bodies of water * Little harm to the surrounding natural areas by invasive species * Sets off carbon dioxide emissions * Habitat for local wildlife * Aesthetic appeal * Improves property values * Energy savings. For example, a home surrounded by large trees has the potential for a reduced energy bill by 25%. * In many cases, requires less maintenance work (as is the case for xeriscaping, which requires no lawn mowing and less watering) * Connection with the region you live in A landscape that provides food eliminates dependence on large scale corporate farms. These large farms use heavy fertilizers, pesticides and many natural resources in order to maximize their crop output. Even more natural resources are then used to transfer the crops all over the world. Heavy ecological damage occurs and crops and livestock are often loaded with carcinogenic pesticides and hormones. Sustainable landscaping is a significant part of all green homes. Examples of Green Homes Many homes and neighborhoods have already been designed with the notion that people and nature can coexist in harmony. The program One Planet Community designs and constructs neighborhoods that function as sustainably as possible. So far, ten different neighborhoods exist throughout the world that have been developed with the framework provided by One Planet Community (8*). Neighborhoods developed under the One Planet Community program are among the greenest in the world and include: * Masdar City * One Brighton, UK * Mata de Sesimbra, Portugal * BedZED, UK The Florida Wildlife Extension, run by the University of Florida, has built two green communities. The community of Madera focuses on the connection between its residents and their environment, utilizes open spaces, lakes, and native landscaping, and designs every home to be EnergyStar certified (9*). The Seed Home at Oberlin College is a highly functional, efficient, and practical example of a green home—composting organic waste, collecting dirty sink and shower water to fill toilets, and cooking with locally grown, organic food. The Seed Home was designed by students and went into effect in 2007. The home offers a practical model of sustainable living that any green home could follow. Citations (1*): Cramer-Kresselt Research 1996: Facilities and Real Estate Strategies, prepared for National Summit on Building Performance, Nov. (2*): U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), “Green Buildings Facts” (Washington, DC: April 2009). (3*): Kibert, Charles J. Sustainable Construction: Green Building Design and Delivery: 7. (4*): International Energy Agency (IEA), Light’s Labour’s Lost: Policies for Energy-efficient Lighting (Paris: 2006), p 375. (5*): Alan K Meier, A Worldwide Review of Standby Power Use in Homes (Berkeley, CA: LBNL, 2002). (6*): Green, Danielle and Welker, Dan. “Sustainable Landscaping.” <http://www.epa.gov/greenacres/smithsonian.pdf> (7*): Eartheasy. “Xeriscaping.” <http://eartheasy.com/grow_xeriscape.htm> (8*): Steiner, Achim “One Planet Communities: Earth’s Greenest Neighbourhoods.” BioRegional Development Group. <http://www.oneplanetcommunities.org/> (9*): Hostetler, Mark and Swiman, Elizabeth. “Living Green in Madera” <http://www.wec.ufl.edu/extension/gc/madera/> (10*): Mehta, Jigar. “This Green House.” The New York Times. <http://video.nytimes.com/video/2008/05/25/education/1194817113712/this-green-house.html%20> </ref> See Also
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