Mar 21 2008 8:55AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |
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Not really, green is on the rise, but the name we seem to be stuck with isn’t a very good one.  It is a very vague description, open to interpretation, confusion, deception, and abuse.  Green is the name we are stuck with, at least for a while, but we need to be thinking about what we are doing with our homes that make them “green”, and figure out how to label it clearly with limited room for variation.  To some, green means using natural materials.  Others see it as super efficient homes.  Many non-professionals instantly think of solar power when they think of green homes.  It is like the blind men and the elephant.  Green is whatever a particular person thinks it is at that particular time.  There are some excellent programs that help to quantify what are green homes and renovations, but they are only a start.  The challenge for builders and remodelers is to understand what makes their projects healthy, durable, efficient, and healthy, and incorporate those into all their projects, making them as “green" as possible.