ProjectLiveGreen

If you have aspirations to build a green home but aren’t really sure where to start as a basic blueprint, following are some excerpts from the U.S. Green Building Council on how to make a home an environmentally friendly one:

• Residential cooling and heating alone make up 20 of the United States’ yearly energy use. Throw in household lighting, appliances, and other electronic equipment, and homes are clearly a major source of energy consumption. Most of that energy comes from greenhouse gas producers like oil and coal, contributing to global climate change. Green homes use 40 less energy than comparable standard homes.

• Some green homes further reduce our dependence on conventional energy sources as they generate some or all of their energy needs through alternative energy sources like the sun, wind, geothermal energy and biomass.

• Efficient plumbing and bath fixtures, drought-tolerant landscaping and water-conserving irrigation systems help green homes use less water than standard homes.

• Far fewer natural resources are used in the construction of a green home. Many green building materials have significant recycled content. Some companies, for example, now make carpets and floor tiles from recycled tires and bottles. Green homes can also be constructed with salvaged materials from demolished buildings. Green homes use materials made from rapidly renewable materials, like bamboo, hemp, agrifibers, and soy-based products. And the use of wood that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council helps promote socially and environmentally beneficial forestry practices.

• Building a standard 2,500-square-foot home creates approximately 2 tons of construction waste that ends up in landfills. Construction of a green home, however, generates less wasteoften much less.