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A Green Approach to Construction

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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.

Ironically, we already know about the impact of the waste we create on our lives. From the smog impacted city of Los Angeles to the toxic rivers in the east, we have seen and at least partially dealt with the problems arising from the waste produced by our society.

Looking around us today, smog seems a rather small problem. Our world is getting hotter. With this will come changes. Weather will become more severe, and water is forecast to become scarce.

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?

The consensus seems to be yes. So, what do we do? Well, there are no easy fixes. Many businesses, however, are beginning to consider approaches that are more environmentally friendly. Green building is one of them.

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.

The idea of efficiency is carried throughout green construction. Structures are built using recyclable materials, saving natural resources. The structures themselves also recycle their moving elements such as water.

Green building also incorporates a design element. The structure is designed to take advantage of things such as solar energy for heating, and wind drafts for cooling. Many green designs replace air conditioning with windows that open, even on skyscrapers.

Given its relative infancy, green building is somewhat of a vague catch term at this time. Nonetheless, it is still a step in the right direction. It represents the idea that we both recognize our wasteful habits and are prepared to deal with them.