A Deeper Shade of Green - Green Building
The emerging Green Building movement is a natural outgrowth of the organic foods movement, stemming from a realization that just as we don�t wish to construct our bodies using unhealthy materials, so, too, we might not want to construct our homes from such things. Too often however, in articles on green building, energy savings is given center stage. Now energy consumption is certainly an important aspect of green building, just as exercise is an important aspect of bodily health. But underlying this�at its foundation, if you will�lies even more essential decisions regarding the quality of materials we choose to �consume� in creating or remodeling our homes and workplaces.Perhaps you�ve heard the term sick building syndrome? There are literally thousands of building and household products which �off-gas� or release out embedded toxic fumes and/or harmful particulates into the air over time. This results in a literal �chemical cocktail� of gases building-up in the indoor environment�and most especially in tightly-sealed, energy-efficient buildings. Some of the chief culprits are:
� Paints, stains & wood finishes
� Flooring materials (vinyl, carpeting, PVC-tiling, adhesives & finishes)
� Sub-floor materials (plywood & OSB)
� Fiberglass insulation
� Furniture & cabinetry materials (plywood, particle-board)
� Cleaning & maintenance products
� Synthetic bedding & fabrics (draperies, upholsteries)
� Vinyl home products (that new shower curtain/liner smell)
Obviously, we could add a host of other household products to this list, as well as gases like carbon monoxide and radon. And we�d still not even be touching on the larger-scale environmental contamination which results from toxic materials being dumped into our air, soil and water by the industries and plants that create these things. And then, of course, there�s the dumping which occurs when they�re no longer needed or desired.
It�s important to understand that astoundingly little is really known about even the top 20 most commonly used chemicals, and there are in excess of 60,000 such substances that have come to be accepted into general use�with hundreds more being created each year�for which no substantial human toxicity data is available.
Fortunately, however, we�re seldom exposed to sufficiently large enough doses of chemicals to suffer acute effects. Yet, we still experience them. Whether we�re aware of it or not, our bodies are engaged in an almost continual state of low-level stress trying to filter out and dispose of these invaders. This can trigger a wide array of more subtle and �indefinite� symptoms such as headaches, rashes, chronic congestion, breathing difficulties, acquired allergies, fatigue, depression, etc. Such symptoms, while less dramatic, can also be debilitating. And while many of the precise relationships are still unknown, undeniable links
have been recognized between a wide variety of health problems�ranging from mild allergies to terminal cancer�and life in the industrialized world, with its increased exposure to toxic substances.
It should also be noted that, historically speaking, �safe� exposure levels for individual chemicals have repeatedly proven not to be safe at all. For most of the more widely recognized offenders, acceptable levels have continually been revised downward over time as new data came to light. And certainly no testing is done to determine how any of these substances affect us in combination. But the E.P.A.(which oversees environmental issues, not human health issues) acknowledges that indoor air pollution likely kills thousands of people each year.
Still, we can�t expect society to dispense entirely with manufactured materials and start building solely with all-natural ones like straw-bale or rammed-earth or cob. The green building revolution will pursue a practical course, which starts by re-examining the existing materials in our homes and workplaces and asking ourselves whether they might actually be harming us. Then, over time, we should replace these things when feasible, and explore ways to seal their toxins in when it�s not.
As a good rule of thumb though, just as with the organic foods movement, we should probably maintain a healthy distrust for any solutions we�ll be offered by the very corporations and industries that put us into this mess in the first place. Take fiberglass insulation for example. The industry fought for years to stymie research and to stifle legislation seeking to recognize formaldehyde as a carcinogen. When it was finally accepted as such by Congress, they stripped the chemical from some of the product and launched advertising campaigns lauding themselves for �putting your family�s interest at heart� by working to remove it. You�ll even find so-called green experts parroting this siren song of �ecologically sound� formaldehyde-free fiberglass insulation.
Yet, research by the National Cancer Institute and others suggests the real boogey-man isn�t so much the formaldehyde as the fiberglass itself. According to Rachel�s Environment and Health Weekly, �studies have continued to appear, showing that fibers of this size not only cause cancer in laboratory animals, but also cause changes in the activity and chemical composition of cells, leading to changes in the genetic structure in the cellular immune system.� Critics are already calling it �the next asbestos�.
But whether fiberglass is the health hazard they deem it to be or not, the �greener� alternative�all-natural, recycled cotton insulation�still makes for a superior product to fiberglass in every way. Cotton insulation (treated with natural borate) meets the highest ASTM testing standards for fire and smoke ratings, mold, mildew, & fungi resistance, pest inhibitance, and corrosion-resistance. It provides slightly better insulative properties than fiberglass, and cotton doesn�t lose its R-value at lower temperatures the way fiberglass does. It has incredible sound-absorption qualities�in fact, it�s the product of choice for professional acoustical engineers. And since cotton doesn�t itch or irritate, it�s also easier and quicker to install, requiring no specialized clothing, respiratory equipment or safety-training. And, if that�s not enough, it contains far less embodied energy, and at the end of it�s life-span is biodegradable and 100% recyclable to boot!
The point here is simply to illustrate that�again, like organic food�healthy materials usually provide higher quality, better feeling, and more responsible solutions for our needs. They�re often grassroots products as well, created from the ground up by independent tradespeople and start-up companies. Because in reality it�s often not enough to just �greenwash� your ills by stripping a few high-profile toxins from an existing product and calling it �green�. Creating truly green materials requires starting over from the beginning.
Do green building materials cost more? Honestly…yes, they do. Sometimes not so much, but sometimes quite a bit. Most articles downplay the costs, but you should expect them to be higher than more popular materials. But bear in mind that you can�t compare, say, natural linoleum to vinyl flooring, anymore than you might compare aged cheddar to Velveeta. It just isn�t apples to apples. And remember, too, that you generally get what you pay for…cheaper materials are cheaper for one reason: they were specifically made to be cheaper! In reality, natural materials are simply the baseline against which �cheaper� gets measured. And as you�re probably already aware, the true difference in cost has only been laid-off on us in other, more hidden, ways.
Just as with organic foods, green building is a process of self-discovery since it forces me to question what it is I really value�especially if that �I� is a business or corporation. It�s a road taken by those who wish to accept responsibility for their place in the world. Perhaps, too, it�s a reaction against �business as usual� in our modern society: because somehow in the great rush to feed the insatiable consumer, the American Dream got turned back upon itself in the forms of corporatism, militarism, globalism, and free-market exploitation. We certainly owe it to the world to cut back on our consumption. But also, when we do consume, we owe it to ourselves not to be mindless consumers. All beings take from the planet, there�s no way around that. Mature beings try to do so responsibly.
But still…that doesn�t mean that your home can�t look absolutely fabulous.
Steven Laurdan is the owner of Home Green Home
(www.homegreenhome.biz), a green homebuilding supplies business located in Viroqua, WI.
Saving the environment isn’t as hard as it seems. Throughout United States history, Americans have shown a surprising amount of support for adopting environmentally-conscious habits. You can even get kids in on it with childrens activities that teach them the importance of saving our planet.