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The use of renewable materials is excellent when possible as it ensures that the environmental costs of building the house will be paid off in months instead of decades (BEST 2009). The use of reclaimed materials is even better, however, as there is absolutely no additional environmental involved in using, for instance, a century-old dance floor as the hardwood covering in a new living room. Reclaimed resources can be difficult to locate, but are often worth the price in addition to the environmental savings (BEST 2009).
Technological innovations also allow for much greater efficiency. Inert-gas windows and better insulation materials and techniques can improve the envelope of a house, drastically reducing the amount of energy needed to heat or cool a home or building (ADPSR 2009). Heating and cooling units themselves have also greatly improved in efficiency in recent years, with additional improvements still ongoing (BEST 2009). The use of wind and solar power generators can make a home entirely self-sufficient in terms of electricity. Grey water reclamation for irrigation and even rainwater collection and purification systems can be sued in some areas to reduce the overall impact on water levels, and geothermal wells can even be dug to supply heat from the Earth itself. All of these save consumers money in the long-term, and start helping the environment now.
The best ways to build green, however, are those that fully utilize what the
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References
ADPSR. (2009). Architects/Designers/Planners for Social Responsibility. Accessed 2 October 2009. http://www.adpsr.org/
BEST. (2009). Building Environmental Science & Technology. Accessed 2 October 2009. http://www.energybuilder.com/
Green Architecture in Japan: a Reflection of Societal Values Defining Green Architecture Man has been building structures since shortly after they began to emerge from caves and to explore areas outside his immediate vicinity. Many animals build structures, such as birds and beaver. Many of these structures are functional and serve only to offer protection from predators and the elements, and so it was with the first structures built by man. They
In a field like housing construction, whether it is tradition or green, human resources have the highest importance. Their quality and experience is reflected in the quality of the houses they build. Smaller construction companies cannot afford the highest skilled personnel, which creates a major disadvantage. It is difficult to say whether these companies are financially sound or not on medium term and long-term. The financial investments required by constructions and
Materials must be durable in order to withstand the test of time and costly replacements which further pollute the environment with waste, (Chiras 2008). In general, manufacturers try to present a variety of usable green materials which are produced with the least amount of energy possible. When thinking of the energy needed to create a product, one must take into account that of extracting raw materials, processing, and transportation
Setting an example is extremely important, as it will stimulate the drive and demand for green technologies. Governments and powerful organizations can afford to invest in emerging green technologies. Lorick encourages investment in green technology because market trends suggest future growth. Consumers, at least in the first world, should quickly respond to industry-wide as well as public policy changes toward green technology. Companies, organizations, and governments need to redirect
A second major facto in the growing trend for a new greener industry is that these measures also represent a more efficient operation from a financial perspective as well. For instance, recycling aluminum cans on the job is an example of a sustainable practice that contributes in a positive way to the bottom line (Shepherd, 2009). Recycling aluminum cans on the jobsite help to feed the local economy as well.
By the same token, an American citizen, say of Iranian decent has very little choice in self-defining their "ethnicity" since there is not a category for Arab-American -- instead, they must be White/Caucasian, which in some cases, is how they self-view, in other cases, not at all accurate for a political "count." The task then, for political leaders, is to ensure that numbers, used for judgment, dividing, and even