Green Building: Reducing your carbon footprint through reducing our consumption

This Picacho Mountain resident selected insulated concrete form (ICF) walls for the construction of his home. These ICF walls are made from 85 percent recycled polystyrene and 15 percent cement compound. ICF construction preserves forests by dramatically reducing the amount of lumber needed to construct a home.

When I began this recycle, reduce, reuse series last month, I didn’t have any idea of the oil spill tragedy that was about to occur in the Gulf of Mexico. As I’ve watched this disaster unfold from here in Las Cruces, NM, I’ve been more convinced than ever of the importance of incorporating green building into our homes and offices.

Recycling is a good way to preserve our natural resources. Step two in minimizing our environmental footprint is to reduce our consumption.

Scientists believe the gulf oil spill has already exceeded the 11 million gallons spilled by the Exxon Valdez tanker in 1989, with another 210,000 gallons leaking into the gulf every day.  Not only is this a disaster for the wildlife in the gulf, it is also a huge depletion of what is left of the earth’s oil.

While you and I can’t stop the leak and we might not have the resources to help save the wildlife in the gulf, there are things we can do. One of the best places you can start making an impact is to reduce the amount of our natural resources you are consuming.

Here are eight things you can do to reduce your consump­tion of water, energy and other natural resources:

1. Select a green home site or community: Mass-grading of home sites may be the cheapest way to develop, but it is very destruc­tive to the environment. As you select the site for your next home, choose a lot with minimal disturbance of the natural landscaping. Then design and build your home to disturb a minimal amount of that landscape. This will save you money in landscaping, reduce water run-off and erosion, reduce dust and reduce the amount of gravel and plants you will have to purchase to re-vegetate your home site.

2. Use native or xeriscape landscaping: You can greatly reduce the amount of water your home requires by preserv­ing the natural landscape around your home. For the areas you do have to landscape, select native plants or use xeriscape landscaping techniques. Xeriscape can produce a beautiful, natural looking yard while using a minimal amount of water year round.

3. Select green building materials: There are so many green building materials available on the market today. These materials give you the opportunity to build your dream home and preserve the environment at the same time. Building materials such as rammed-earth block and insulated concrete forms (ICF) walls preserve our forests by dramatically reduc­ing the need for lumber in the construction of your home.  They also reduce your energy usage because they provide better insulation.

4. Use low-VOC building materials: Toxic chemicals can be found in everything these days, from your cosmetics to the paint on your walls. The good news is there are non-toxic al­ternatives available. Selecting low-volatile organic compounds (VOC) and VOC-free paint, carpet and other materials makes your home a safer place and releases fewer chemicals into the environment.

5. Plant trees to reduce energy use: According to El Paso Electric Co., planting native shade trees around your home can reduce your summer energy load by up to 10 percent. Adding window awnings, window solar screens and proper orienta­tion of your windows will also cut down on your energy usage during peak seasons.

6. Increase home insulation: Increased insulation is one of the main focuses of green building and green homes. A well­ insulated home will use dramatically less energy in both the summer and winter than a home with improper insulation.

7. Explore alternative energy sources: One of the best ways to reduce the impact your home has on the environment is to explore safer, cleaner energy sources. There are so many ways to incorporate solar technology into your home, and every year it gets less expensive to do so. Geothermal energy is another clean way to reduce electricity usage in your home.

8. Install low-flow water fixtures: An easy way to reduce water usage in your home is by installing low-flow water fixtures. Most national plumbing fixture brands now have low-flow product lines available that significantly reduce your water usage without sacrificing quality of water flow or the style of your fixtures.

We might not able to stop the oil spilling into the gulf, but these are a few of the ways we can reduce the impact we have on the environment in our daily lives.