Green Building

What is "Building Green?"
A.) A trendy term that allows suppliers to charge more
B.) Better building techniques
C.) Avoiding the use of natural materials
D.) A well defined and developed way to improve energy efficiency and lower greenhouse gas emissions

I made this quiz harder than it needed to be. I don't know the right answer either, so you don't get a prize for answering it correctly! I certainly see A. as having some truth. One builder told us that he wished the industry had called it Better Building, instead of Green Building, so that would lead one to B. Although renewable materials like Bamboo are considered green, most of the components that are touted as green are synthetic, so that points to C. Finally, the government has tax credits for a builder if they "build green", so that implies some definition and points to D, but there is a bewildering maze of green building options, so I can't say the road to a green home is clear. Pick your favorite or post your own definition.

I confess we had no plans to build green. Didn't know about it. Didn't care about it. We were just looking for the right home to build. Turns out that the Riverbend home we chose can qualify for Energy Star certification. Hmm. It's kind of like being told you qualify for a refund. You feel compelled to go for it. There's no doubt that Energy Star certification will yield a better resale value and make it easier to sell, if we ever face that decision, particularly when you look at what's happening to energy prices. It also leads you to believe that operating costs will be lower. We signed on to the Energy Star route and are committed to making that happen. More on that in a later post. Once you bandy that term about though, everyone then assumes that you want a green home.

Regardless of how we got here, we're in the thick of it now. We'll be posting real info about what makes some materials green and others not in later posts. I have to further confess that we will make some anti-green decisions (forgive me Al Gore and your minions), mainly because we aren't multi-millionaires who can buy whatever we want. If Al will help me fund this home, I'll be delighted to build a zero carbon footprint. Maybe I should write him to let him know that we are now accepting cash donations. He's probably not aware of that. My fault.