Green Building Essay

Green Building
“The building sector contributes up to 30% of global annual greenhouse gas emissions and consumes up to 40% of all energy” (UNEP). The building sector is one of the leading contributors to global warming and, as a result, is one of the leading contributors to melting ice caps, rising sea levels and the recent proliferation in extreme weather conditions. However, it does not just contribute to global warming; the building sector also contributes to urban pollution. In the US alone, the building sector generates hundreds of millions of tons of municipal solid waste each year. It is clear that the building sector must change if we are to survive as a species. Ultimately we need to convert our cities into “sustainable cities,” but a good start in that direction is a practice in the building industry known as Green Building. A Green Building is an environmentally sustainable building designed, constructed and operated to minimize its total environmental impact. Some of the main goals underpinning Green Building include reduced energy consumption, water conservation and recycling. Green builders do this by using renewable energy such as solar, wind or hydro, which provides the buildings with clean energy and zero carbon dioxide emissions. They manage water through water efficient irrigation systems, captured rain or site-recycled water for onsite landscaping. They also develop a waste management plan that diverts a substantial amount of solid waste from landfills to salvage facilities. A common assumption that many people make is that Green Building is very expensive. But the cost of a building, house or apartment complex that is Green depends on how “green” they want it to be. Prices can range from a mere one percent i...

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...e cities.” In the sustainable city, areas of land and space will be devoted to farming which will eliminate the need to transport food from long-distances. Also, the only type of transportation will be public transportation which will minimize and eventually eliminate the need for fossil fuels. People will be using their environment and surroundings in a helpful and productive way for both themselves and the life around them. Organizations, such as Terreform Center for Advanced Urban Research, are already in the process of developing plans to convert major US cities like New York into sustainable, self-sufficient ones. It is important to realize the severity of the effects of non-green products and behaviors, so that society can work to fix them before it is too late. Green buildings and sustainable cities are the future, because without them there is no future.